Picture Perfect
by Complicated Days
Summary: Paco Fuentes finds himself following his father's footsteps when he meets Julianna Gallagher, a chica blanca just like his mother. However, with his life already in disarray, can he overcome the problems and troubles for the ending to be picture perfect?
1. Uno

**A/N : I merged some chapters since I don't like how short each of them are. It won't matter if you read them already, there's no change to them. Just don't be shocked when the number of chapters drop and get longer.**

**Note : For those who read up to chapter 5, I combined two chapters to one. So chapter 3 right now has the original chapter 6 in it, read it first before proceeding to chapter 4. Sorry for the hassle :/**

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><p><em>Mr's Peterson closes the door to her classroom. "Good afternoon and welcome to senior chemistry." She walks to her desk, leans on the edge, and opens her class folder. "I appreciate you picking your own seats, but since this is my class, I make the seating arrangements. . . alphabetically."<em>

_Groans erupt from the students, the same sound that has greeted her on the first day of school for over thirty years at Fairfield High._

"_Mary Alcott, take the first seat. Your partner is Andrew Carson." Down the list Mrs. Peterson goes, students reluctantly sitting in their assigned seats next to their chemistry partners. _

"_Paco Fuentes," Mrs. Peterson says, pointing to the table behind Mary._

_The handsome young man with pale blue eyes like his mother's and smoky black hair like his father's takes his assigned seat. _

_Mrs. Peterson regards her new student over the glasses perched on her nose. "Mr. Fuentes, don't think this class will be a piece of cake because your parents got lucky and developd a medication to halt the progression of Alzheimer's. Your father never did finish my class and he flunked one of my tests, although I have a feeling your mother was the one who should have failed. But that just means I'll expect extra from you."_

"_Sí, señora."_

_Mrs. Peterson looks down at her notebook."Julianna Gallagher, please take your seat next to Mr. Fuentes."_

_Mrs. Peterson notices Julianna´s blush as she sits on her stool and Paco´s cocky grin beside her. Maybe the tide was starting to shift after thirty years of teaching, but she wasn´t taking any chances. _

"_And for those of you who want to start any trouble, I have a zero tolerance policy. . ."_

**Paco**

"… I hope I made myself clear on my expectations." Mrs. Peterson finished off her speech and eyed the class. "Are there any questions before I start on my lesson?"

"Yeah, I have one." I said, grinning, aware of the attention I am getting. I enjoy being the centre of attention, a trait that I probably inherited from my mother.

"I would appreciate if you raise your hand before asking a question next time, Paco." Mrs. Peterson narrowed her eyes at me.

"Sure, if that´s what you want." I answered lazily and pretended to stretch, throwing up my right hand in the process. "Am I doing it right?"

Mrs. Peterson cocked her head slightly as Julianna took a sharp intake of breath next to me. I raised an eyebrow at my teacher, giving her a charming smile. "I sure hope I´m doing it right, I never had to raise my hand in class before."

"Oooooh." There was a low murmer from the back of the class when my classmates realised that I am openly challenging her authority. Instead of losing her cool like I thought she would, Mrs. Peterson just gave me a knowing smile. "Then I guess it´s time to learn how to do it, don´t you agree, Mr. Fuentes?"

I stiffened a little, realising that I am getting played right back. Regaining my composure, I leaned forward on my chair and smiled sweetly. "I won´t mind that at all, as long as you can teach me how to do that during a one-on-one session," I propped my head up with my hands on the desk, inclining my head towards Mrs. Peterson. "I might even be able to give you some tips on _other _matters that I am exceptional at."

The class erupted in laughter and I stared at Mrs. Peterson, hoping to catch a flicker of emotion that might prove that she was angry or shocked. Anything, really. Once again, that sentence did not have the desired effect on my chemistry teacher, and I found myself grudgingly respecting her. She merely dismissed that sentence with a wave of her hand and continued with her introductory speech.

"You don´t have to like your partner, but you are stuck with him or her for the next ten months. I suggest you get to know each other." Mrs. Peterson said, taking a seat on the edge of her desk. "Tell your partner your hobbies, what you did over the summer and whatever it is that makes you unique. You have five minutes, starting from… now."

I relaxed and leaned back on my chair, eyeing Julianna all the while. Her hair was a rich shade of mahagony that went past her shoulders and ended in curls at the hip. The wavy brown hair adorned her porcelain skin, as well as her rosy red lips. Her eyes were hazel coloured, framed by her long lashes. Her high cheekbones went well with her straight nose that was upturned just slightly, giving her a cute, irresistible charm.

Julianna glanced at me and turned a bright shade of red when she realised that I was staring at her. She averted her eyes and suddenly appeared to be immensely interested in a diagram in her chemistry textbook which was upside down. I almost burst out laughing, if not for the fact that Mrs. Peterson was staring right at me, hands on her hips. What came out was more of a strangled sound and I disguised it as a cough.

"Paco," Mrs. Peterson´s tone was impatient. "I would prefer if you talked to Julianna instead of just gawking at her."

Julianna groaned and sunk lower into her seat. "I would prefer to do that too, Mrs. Peterson." I answered cheerfully. "But you know what everyone says, gotta check out the merchandise before buying it."

Then, from the corner of my eye, I saw Julianna rising to her full height, scowling at me. "What is your problem, jerk?" The chatter immediately died down as the cheerleader glared at me scornfully. "Why must you always treat _us_," she made a sort of dramatic gesture to indicate the general female population. "As if we are just mere tools in your game?"

My temper momentarily flared up and I stood up, towering over her. "And who the _fuck _do you think you are, giving me a piece of your mind?"

"That´s it, both of you, to the principal´s office now." Mrs. Peterson marched over and commanded. I dragged my glare away from Julianna and stuffed my chemistry textbook back into my bag. From the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of her flipping me the finger before storming out of the room.

Great, first day of school and I have to face the principal. What a wonderful start.

**Julianna**

"Ah, Paco Fuentes. What a pleasant surprise." Mr. Aguirre said, unsmiling as he sat behind his desk strewn with stacks of paperwork. That jerk just shrugged, as if to announce that it wasn´t his fault that he was there. Screw him, this is all _so_ his fault. I should have listened to Katie´s advice to stay away from him. Well, at least now I know what he´s like.

"Mrs. Peterson told me about what happened in class and I must admit, this brings back memories." He continued, eyes never leaving Paco. After a few more seconds, he finally tore his gaze away from Paco and onto me.

"And…" The principal gave me a sweeping glance and shook his head disapprovingly. "Julianna? I expected you to be on good behaviour after what happened last year."

I was almost expelled from school last year after I was caught for possession of alcohol. The problem with that was that the alcohol wasn´t mine, I was framed. The school board sure didn´t believe me though, but my father settled it with a small call to the school and some cash. My father. I bit my lip at the thought of him and shook back hot tears that threatened to spill over.

"Julianna, is everything alright?" Mr. Aguirre´s brow was furrowed with concern at my facial expression and I blinked, keeping my emotions in check.

"Y-Yes, everything´s fine." I stammered slightly, trying to find my voice. "I promise it won´t happen again." I added quickly.

Paco rolled his eyes at my reaction. He was leaning against the wall, his hands in his pockets as he awaited his side of the punishment. I had an urge to walk over and give him a slap on his face to show him how angry I really was about his little "speech" back in class but held back. I could do it later, away from the eyes of the school board.

"I´ll hold you to that, Julianna." Mr. Aguirre replied without missing a beat. He then turned to face Paco once again, a tired expression on his face. "How many times have you been in this office last year alone?"

Paco shrugged nonchalantly. "Too many times."

"Exactly my point, Mr. Fuentes. These visits have to stop." Mr. Aguirre walked over to the phone on his table and picked it up. "I regret to inform you that I would have to call in your parents once again." I have heard about Paco´s parents, Alex and Brittany. They were the renowned chemists that discovered the medicine that would hinder the progress of Alzheimer´s. I also heard about how his father used to be a gang member, a past that had haunted him for many years.

"If you must."

Mr. Aguirre paused, studying Paco for a long moment. Paco didn´t flinch and mirrored the principal´s unwavering gaze. I could feel the tension in the air and fidgeted uncomfortably. Finally, Mr. Aguirre sighed and placed down the phone, sitting back down onto his chair.

"What is your problem, Paco?"

"Ain´t got any." Paco answered simply.

A vein throbbed in the principal´s temple and he sighed again, stretching his hands out in a friendly gesture. "Look, Paco, I´m not the enemy here. I´m just trying to help you stay out of trouble."

"I don´t need the help." Paco replied stubbornly, shaking his head. "I know how to keep out of trouble."

"Well, circumstances have proven otherwise." Mr. Aguirre stood up and strode over to Paco. His hair had thinned over the years, turning a colour of greyish white. However, the long drawn out years had done nothing to remove the stern look on his face. "You, young man, have to learn some self-control or I´m going to teach it to you myself, do I make that clear?"

Paco narrowed his eyes. I noticed how his body grew rigid and his body tensed, like a predator ready to attack its prey. However, he relented and nodded curtly. "Yes, sir. I can´t make you any promises though."

"I don´t expect you to." Mr. Aguirre answered as he walked back to his seat. "The Fuentes family have a weird tendency of getting into trouble all the time." There was a bit of dry humour in the way he said this and I chuckled quietly. It was true to a certain extent, at least with Paco.

"Can we go now?" I asked, sensing the awkwardness in the air. Mr. Aguirre eyed me and nodded. "You´re both dismissed, hurry off now for your second period."

I whirled on my heels and sauntered out of the room, keeping my head held high as I passed Paco. He snorted at me and we went our separate ways for our next lessons. I had a weird feeling that I would be seeing him more than I would want to from now on.


	2. Dos

**Paco**

Time couldn't pass any slower than it is now. The seconds are trickling by slower than a snail. I stared at the clock, willing the second hand to move any faster. I hated calculus, anything regarding maths to me is complete gibberish. Why the hell would I need maths in life anyway? It's not like my future job would require me to calculate some random algebra equation or anything along that line. It baffles me how some people actually seem to enjoy the lesson.

I glanced at the scrawny boy next to me that was lingering on the teacher's every word. His glasses were about as thick as his finger and he had to constantly shift it upwards to prevent it from toppling down from its precarious perch on his small stubbly nose.

"Hey Paco! Hey, look at me!" The familiar voice of Tristan intruded my thoughts and I turned my head back to my childhood friend. He broke into a grin and poked my neck. "I heard you took an interest in Julia."

Tristan is the son of Doug and Sierra and he practically lived over at my house. Sierra is a close friend of my mom´s since her teenage years and they still remained best of friends until now. Cheesy, I know, but that's the way it is with women. Their whole family is almost always over at ours for dinner and on other special occasions so it is no surprise that Tristan and I became friends. We both looked out for each other, not that we needed the help anyway. He´s in the football team and is built like his father, tall and muscular.

"So? I want details, _amigo."_ He pressed on, inspecting my face for any hints.

"You probably heard wrong. She´s not my type." I answered flatly before turning back around. Damn, news travelled fast.

"No, I´m sure of it Paco." He insisted, tapping my shoulder. "Tell me all about it!" He´s an incessant one, I´ll give him that. Throughout the other half of the lesson, he persisted with his questions but I didn´t budge.

"Look," I hissed, spinning around and confronting him near the end of the lesson when his badgering got unbearable. "I have a short fuse and you´re pushing me off the edge."

He eyed me warily and put both his hands up in surrender. "Okay, I´ll stop. But you better tell me la-"

He didn´t get to finish his sentence.

"Tristan, I´m so glad you decided to volunteer to answer this question!" Mrs. Kiton smiled warmly at the surprised football player, motioning for him to come to the front. There was a hastily scribbled equation on the board that even Albert Einstein would have trouble deciphering.

I gave him a smug grin as he reluctantly got out of his seat. He shot me a glare and flipped me the finger – the second time I´ve received it in less than two hours. This must be some sort of record.

**Julianna**

"So is it true that you spoke to Paco?" Katie asked, arching her eyebrow as we stood in line to wait for our food in the cafeteria.

"It depends on your definition of "spoke"." I answered warily, aware of how fast the rumours were spreading.

"So you did!" She squealed, excitement glinting in her eyes. She seemed to do a little jump while saying that, causing her ponytail to swerve left and right. "You _have _to tell me all about it." The line moved a little and Katie leaned forward onto the counter to order her chicken salad.

"I´ll take what she ordered." I pointed at Katie and paid for the salad before walking with her over to our usual table.

"Hey Julia, we all heard about your little argument." Veronica, another one of my friends commented when I was putting down my tray. I rolled my eyes and sat down, picking at the lettuce on my plate, pushing the food around more than consuming them.

"Yeah! Spill the beans already." Katie nudged me but I ignored her. The entire cafeteria was buzzing with talk about me and Paco and it was irritating enough to try to ignore the many glances in my direction during the conversations but now even my friends want to know about it.

I sighed and set down my fork. "Okay, look. He insulted me and I got angry with him. I shouted at him and he shouted back at me. Then we both got sent to the principal´s office. Satisfied?" One look at my friends´ dubious expression on their faces told me their answers but I had said my piece. I continued to pick at my food, my appetite totally gone.

Then, the cafeteria fell into silence. I looked up, puzzled and followed the stares towards the entrance of the cafeteria. The reason for the silence stared right back at me. Paco. He saw me and narrowed his eyes at me, his lips turning into a tight line. His friend next to him, Tristan I think, followed his gaze to me and said something to him, following it up by a playful punch to his shoulder. His gaze however, never left me and he snapped back at Tristan whose expression turned sullen. Then, to my utmost surprise and dread, he marched towards me, a grim look on his face.

"Oh, god." Katie whispered and started digging through her handbag, pretending to be occupied. Veronica quickly whipped out her phone and started messaging someone – or pretend to, I don´t know. All I know was that I was left to fend for myself against the most dangerous person in school.

He came to a stop directly in front of me and looked at me. I felt my hands trembling slightly and cursed myself for being so timid around him.

"Look, I know we started on the wrong foot, but we have a chemistry project to do." He said, looking down at me from his lofty height. "And just to set things straight, I need to ace this project or my parents would kill me."

I smiled sweetly back at him in response. "What makes you think I would even help you with the project after what you did to me?"

He appeared unfazed by what I said, but a flicker of emotion did pass through his eyes. He bent down until he was face to face with me and did something I would never have expected – He kissed me on the cheeks. The feeling of his heavy breath against my cheeks sent my pulse racing and the spot where he kissed was tingling with a strange sensation. He had a smug grin on his face when he saw my expression and he caressed the side of my cheeks with his rough, calloused finger. The touch sent me into hysterics and I wanted more.

"I just know you won´t disappoint me, Julia." He whispered softly, his lips so close to mine. I was tempted to lean forward, to cover that small space and kiss him, to feel his lips against mine. Then, in another moment, he stood up and put up his cool facade again.

"After school, tomorrow at the library. I´ll meet you there." He said and walked back to the queue for food as if nothing happened. I stared down at my hands that were still trembling. But now, it was not from fear for my safety, but fear for my sanity.

**Paco**

The look on Julia´s face when I kissed her cheeks were priceless. Her eyes were bugged out and I swear she was trembling slightly. It appears that I still have the ability to charm the ladies with a simple gesture. Sure, Julianna may not be like any other girl - seeing how she actually stood up to me, but she definitely intrigues me. One way or another, it would be a challenge to have her as my chemistry partner, but I always welcome a challenge.

Tristan´s face didn´t differ much from Julianna´s when I approached him. He seemed awe-struck and just gaped at me. "What?" I asked as I stepped in front of his him, cutting his queue. He didn´t seem to notice it at all though.

"_Dude,"_ He shifted his weight onto his right leg. "You just kissed Julia on the cheeks!"

I rolled my eyes. "No shit, Sherlock."

"But she´s like the head cheerleader and the prettiest girl in sch-"

"Yeah, whatever." I interrupted Tristan mid-sentence and moved forward with the line. "She´s just another girl to me."

He eyed me for a long moment and finally shrugged. "Of course, you´re Paco. Girls are just merely toys to you." He ran his hand through his messy blond hair and looked around the cafeteria. "Speaking of girls, where´s Andrea?"

Andrea is Tristan´s girlfriend of almost a year now. She´s a cheerleader too, and they are really the cutest couple together. Problem is that they don´t seem to know that, they always have this break up phases that Tristan complains to me about. Then, before you know it, they´re back together again. Sometimes I would prefer if they broke up for good, I´m getting tired of hearing Tristan bawl his heart out to me over the phone.

"Knowing her, she´ll turn up sooner or later." I picked up my tray laden with food and waited impatiently as Tristan fussed over how his bread had to be wholemeal. Finally, we went to a table to have our meal.

"Tristan!" As I expected, Andrea slipped into the seat next to Tristan, showering the football player with kisses. "I was looking for you."

"What´s up?" Tristan asked.

"My parents are going to go overseas in two weeks time and I think we should go to the cabin near the lake," Andrea paused and excitement glinted in her eyes. "You know, that incredibly big one with the superb view of the lake? Yeah! We are going to have _so _much fun there!"

Tristan grinned and leaned forward and planted another kiss on her lips. "I don´t mind going anywhere, as long as it´s with _you, _Andrea."

"Please, spare me the talk." I groaned, rapidly losing my appetite.

"Stop being a spoil sport, Paco." Andrea said, pouting. She shook her hair, sending her blonde curls swinging. "You should really try to get into a relationship that lasts for more than a month."

I arched an eyebrow and leaned forward towards her angelic face. "If you didn´t realise, Andrea, your relationship is on and off too."

Andrea paled and placed her hands on her hips. "T-That´s different!"

I laughed and stood up with my tray. "Sure, Andrea, live in self-denial. I give you and Tristan," I eyed my silent friend. "a month at most before you guys go into your usual phase. That´s pretty generous, if I would say so myself."

"Jerk!" Andrea countered and if looks could kill, I´d probably be dead by then.

"_Lo que te haga feliz, amigo_." I answered cheerfully and walked off, leaving the cheerleader fuming and swearing after me.

**Julianna**

"Nothing but an argument? That sure didn´t look like nothing, Julia." Katie peered at me. We were walking down the hallway and I still couldn´t believe that Paco had to tease me like that in front of the entire school. Now, the rumours are just going to get worst. I stopped at my locker, shutting Katie out as she continued to drone on about the importance of not keeping secrets from my best friend.

"Are you quite done?" I leaned against my locker and looked at Katie. She had that determined look on her face; I know she won't stop till she got the truth out from me. "If you are, I would like to go for my next lesson," I hugged the books in front of my chest and tried to give her the most venomous look I could manage. "Alone."

The rest of the day passed by in the same old fashion. The rumours were spreading faster than wildfire and all I could do was make sure that I'm not caught in the centre of everything. I caught glances of people whispering when I walked by and I held my head up high, trying to appear as composed as possible. I'm Julianna Gallagher, head cheerleader, and I would not fall prey for Paco's bag of tricks.

I got into my Beetle and hurried back home, remembering my promise to be back as soon as possible. I parked hastily and scrambled across the perfectly manicured lawn and entered the house.

"Mum? I'm back." I looked around the spacious living area but my mum was nowhere in sight.

"She went out." My brother, Alfred, said from the couch. I spun around to face him and noticed that there was a lingering smell of smoke on him. I advanced closer and grabbed his sleeve, taking a sniff.

"Geez! What was that for?" He pulled back immediately, trying to mask the nervousness on his face. I shook my head; I was right about the smell.

"When did you start smoking? I thought mum made it clear that you're not supposed to smoke." I confronted him, hands at my hips.

"Take it easy, it's not a fucking crime." He averted his eyes when he realised I was staring at him. "I needed to get away from all the stress anyway."

I softened, realising that I shouldn't be pushing him that hard. "It's alright, but you have to stop smoking. Mum would freak if she knew." I brushed the stray strands of hair from his forehead and locked gaze with his eyes. "I know it's tough since dad got into that accident, but we have to pull ourselves together."

He flinched and backed away, shaking his head. "I don't want to talk about it."

"You can't run away from realiy forever, Alfred." I sighed as he retreated upstairs to his room, his idea of a safe haven.

"I know I can't," He answered without turning back. "But I can try."


	3. Tres

**Julianna**

My shoulders sagged in defeat when Alfred slammed the door to his room. He rather live in denial than face reality head on; does that make me any better? I had gotten over the accident a little too easily, almost as if I had little to no feelings for my father. He was never there for me like my mother, he practically made it seem as if I never existed, as if I was just a mistake. He only doted on Alfred, which probably made sense why my brother desperately longed for him to be back in his life. Unfortunately for him, our father was still lying in the hospital, unconscious. The doctor gave no information on when he might finally wake up, it was all a mystery. He suffered severe brain damage and even if he _did _come to, he might fall prey to amnesia or some other problems that I don't even want to acknowledge.

I sighed deeply and sank into the soft embrace of the couch. My mum was struggling too, what with dealing with all the pressure of being the 'perfect' family even in my father's absence. I find it ridiculous that we have to put up all this false pretense just to play our role as the happy American family. What was the point? We were getting nowhere anyway. My family was already falling apart even before my father went into a coma, the accident was just a sort of catalyst to speed it all up.

I heard the door swing open and I craned my neck over the couch to see my mum strutting in. She was still the picture of perfection, of course. Her image means the world to her, maybe even more than me.

"Hi mum." I acknowledged her presence with a small nod. She smiled half-heartedly at me and walked into the kitchen, leaving me to wonder what was wrong with my family.

**Paco**

I hoisted myself onto Lucky, my motorbike and navigated my way out of the school campus. The journey back home took roughly fifteen minutes and I fished into my pockets for the keys to the house. It was late afternoon and my sister, Isabella should be back. After having no luck finding my keys in my jeans pocket, I pounded against the door.

"Isabel? _Abra la puerta_!" I shouted, knocking louder than neccessarily.

After a moment of silence, I heard footsteps and the familiar voice of my sister as she walked to the door. "Don't you have the damn keys?"

She flung the door open, narrowly missing my nose as I jumped out of the way. I glared at her and she just shrugged matter-of-factly. Isabel took after my mother instead, having long curly locks of blonde hair and pale blue eyes with chalky white skin. Sometimes I wonder why we are siblings when we're worlds apart. And I'm not just talking about appearances, she thinks pretty highly of herself since she's the only junior that made it into the cheerleading squad.

"I lost them." I answered simply, patting my pockets to prove my point. She rolled her eyes dramatically and walked back upstairs with her dainty little steps that always made my lips curl in disgust. We got along just fine as long as she dosen't intrude my personal space or vice versa.

I went to my room and laid down on my bed, thinking about what happened today. Immediately, I thought of Julia and I closed my eyes. Why was she occupying my every thoughts? It's not as if that kiss I planted on her cheeks meant anything, right? I opened my eyes and frowned. I didn't have time to ponder over that little incident now, I had more important matters to take care of.

I retrieved my phone from my bag and punched in the numbers that are already engraved in my mind. Raphael's phone rang twice before he picked up.

"Raphael here." His deep gruff voice answered the call.

"It's Paco." I paused and raked a hand through my hair. "I called to find out about the fixture for today's fight."

"Give me a minute." There were shouts and grunts in the background and I found my thoughts drifting to where he was, probably at another fight club that he managed. A few moments later, he spoke up again. "Eight at The Scorpion."

"Will do. And do I get the privilege of knowing who my opponent is?"

"You know the rules, Paco. Just be here on time."

He ended the call abruptly like always and I set my phone down beside me. I stared up at the ceiling blankly and readied myself mentally for the fight. It would be simple, just a warm up for the real deal in a few weeks. A flicker of movement outside my window caught my attention and I sat up, glancing outside. Tristan waved at me from his backyard with a look that was all too familiar on his face. I sighed and nodded at him to inform him that I was coming down.

It was going to be a long afternoon.

"I can't believe she just did that." Tristan's body was sprawled on his bed, and he shook his head in denial. "She told me that we should seriously consider our relationship because your words were right on." He inclined his head towards me, seeking for sympathy from me.

I have been in this exact situation, in the exact same place and the exact same chair at least ten times for the past two years, pretending to listen to his complicated love life which did nothing but to strengthen my resolve never to get too emotionally involved with a girl. All they do is just wear you thin, ride you out and tear you down.

"I hate to be a wet blanket, Tristan, but she isn't worth your time," I said. "She just makes you sad and depressed all the time."

He groaned and covered his eyes with his pillow. "I know, I know, you always say that. But I just can't get over her man. She's like a part of me already."

I threw my hands up in exasperation. "Fucking hell, Tristan, I'm not asking you to give up your life or something along that line, I'm just asking for you to give up on a girl that won't even _try _to understand you."

He peeked out from underneath the pillow and eyed me wryly. "You don't understand how it feels, Paco. I don't expect you to." After saying his piece, he covered his face with his pillow and flipped onto his stomach. I took that as the signal to leave and trudged out of his room, pondering involuntarily over his last few words.

I got home just as darkness started to descend. I bathed and cleaned up before going into the dining room for dinner.

"How was your first day back at school, Paco?" My mom, Brittany asked cheerfully as she scooped a hearty serving of mashed potatoes onto a plate. I forced a smile and sat down at my usual seat.

"It was great."

"I just knew you would manage perfectly, isn't that right Alex?" My mom smiled, a thousand watt smile that could easily light up the neighborhood. Don't get me wrong, I really love her but sometimes, her enthusiasm just gets lost on me. My father studied me for a moment, those dark eyes piercing through me and I had to try my very best to keep still and return his gaze.

"_S__í_." He finally broke his gaze and agreed with my mom, giving her a smile back in return. I almost sighed in relief and scowled at my sister when she shot me a thoughtful look. I know that the rumors were travelling quickly, but to the second years in less than a day? That's pretty fast even for that little juicy piece of gossip.

"What about you, Isabella?" My father turned his gaze to my sister and I inhaled sharply. Surely she won't tell them about what happened, after all, she can't be certain about it since it was just a _rumor._ She glanced at me and smiled gleefully when she noticed my pained expression. I tried to communicate with her through telepathy but as we were so different, it would be of little wonder to me even if she did tell that to our parents.

"Nothing interesting." Isabel smiled and leaned forward to my father's ears, but not before turning to me and giving me a wide grin. "Unless you consider my brother making out with the head cheerleader an interesting piece of news."

I stiffened and tried to appear as nonchalant as possible while my parents exchanged a knowing glance. My father turned to me immediately, a small smile tugging at his lips. My mom settled down into a seat next to him and the whole family looked at me expectantly.

"What?" I tried to appear as innocent as I could. "It was just a kiss to the cheeks. That's hardly consider making out, is it?"

My mom shook her head deliberately slowly and smiled. She looked at my father again and they exchanged a brief laugh. I hate it whenever I don't understand what people were laughing at, especially when it involves me.

"It was Julianna." Isabel revealed when I refused to tell them what happened. I crossed my arms and watched as my sister took her time to tell the tale like a storyteller and cringed whenever my parents laughed.

"Paco, I think you should invite her over for dinner so we can get to know her." My father said smoothly and I almost choked on my food. Isabel and my mom shared a giggle and I glared at them before looking at my father.

"No can do, _padre._ I don't even know her and that story is badly exaggerated." I protested, scowling at Isabel who took delight in torturing me.

"I insist." There was a note of finality in his voice and I was about to argue but thought better of it. I pursed my lips and jabbed at my mashed potatoes with a vengeance. This was all turning out very well and I directed my thoughts to the single thing that kept my adrenaline pumping – The fight.

**Julianna**

"Julia! I need the orders for table ten!" Brandon hollered from outside the kitchen with an edge of impatience.

"Alright, alright, I'll be right there!" I fumbled slightly with the plates and dumped the cheeseburger on top, filling the sides of the burger with fries and slid it through the opening near the glass window. I heard my colleague give a small grunt of satisfaction before he went ahead to serve the customers.

It was rush hour, an hour from closing time. I worked here, at a downtown diner to distance myself from my troubles and take a break from everything. It works most of the time, I'm normally too busy cooking and frying to pay much attention to anything other than the smell of grease and chatter of the customers outside. It's my idea of a safe haven. The money I earned is just a bonus and I saved all of it for when I would need it most.

There was of course, the problem with my image. How can the head cheerleader of Fairfield High be spotted in a rundown diner like such – as the cook, no less? It all worked out in my head, this diner is a fair distance away from my school and I doubt anybody would drive all the way here just to grab a bite. In a worst case scenario, even if students from Fairfield High did somehow manage to locate this place and wanted – God knows why – to have dinner here, I would be in the kitchen anyway, away from any curious eyes.

After about an hour more of frantic frying and cooking – something I have gotten used to, the crowd slowly dispersed, leaving behind the few lone people drowning their sorrows in alcohol. I glanced up to check the time, undoing my apron and leaving it on the counter.

"A quarter to nine," I muttered and sat down on a stool, wiping the sweat off my forehead.

"Hey, Julia?" I saw Brandon trotting over to me and raised an eyebrow at him. "I have to go, can you take over my shift at the counter for tonight?"

"But I have something else to at-"

"Thanks so much! I'll make it up to you someday!" The thin boy added hastily and practically flung his uniform onto the counter without waiting for my reply and dashed off. I groaned and watched helplessly as he pushed open the glass door with such vigour that I was surprised the door remained on its hinges and drove off in his car. I realized with a sinking feeling that this was how I felt most of the time, helpless. I put my head down onto the cool surface of the glass and wished for everything to be alright again. Maybe, just maybe, if I wished hard enough, my dreams would come true.

* * *

><p><strong>This is definitely going to be a heck of a story to write, what with the plot I came out with. I hope you guys would enjoy reading this as much as I enjoy writing it.<strong>


	4. Cuatro

**Paco**

The air was thick with smoke and the ring reeked of alcohol. I stepped forward, taking a defensive posture against my adversary. He looked pretty young, twenty at most. He had a buzz cut which gave him a no-nonsense look and a slightly crooked nose. Not exactly a person you would want to get all fuzzy with, but definitely someone who can put up a hell of a fight.

I waited and waited, adrenaline pumping through me. We circled each other, eyeing and trying to catch each other off guard. The crowd yelled for more and I know that one of us would soon give in to the pressure, initiating the fight. He lashed out at me first, his knuckles poised to connect with my jaw. I ducked and swung my leg from under him, taking him down. Almost immediately, he flipped back onto his feet, glaring at me.

_Damn, he's fast._

I never expected my opponents to be fast; that was something I thrived on. My speed and agility would make me a hard target to hit and I would wear them down before taking them out for the count. Now with someone who matched my speed, if not surpassed it, it was going to be a tough fight.

We circled again and I noticed how he hobbled slightly, as if he wanted to refrain from putting too much weight on his right leg. I frowned, trying to figure it out and he took the chance to attack. His punch caught me by surprise, slamming into my chest and I stumbled back, trying to block the rest of his blows. The blows were relentless, but I held my own and when he was moving back slightly, I leapt forward, catching him clearly by surprise. My fist slammed into his jaw, sending him sprawling onto the ground. The crowd went wild.

He struggled and writhed on the ground for a few more moments before getting to his feet, breathing ragged and labored. He clutched his jaw and grimaced from the pain. I shot him a cocky grin, one that even my father would have been proud of. He scowled and his eyes burned with fury. Never let emotions get the better of you in a fight, that's what I was taught. Emotions would make you weak even if they did fuel you on. Obviously, my taunting got the best of him and he charged forward, mouth open in a silent battle cry.

He threw the punch in direction of my face and I sidestepped nimbly, watching in satisfaction as he stumbled over and lost his footing. I swung my leg again in an arc, hitting him in the back and he collapsed onto the ground, swearing obscenities.

"_Paco, Paco, Paco_…" The crowd chanted my name as my opponent got up again, wiping off the trickle of blood by the side of his mouth. After his initial mistakes, he realized he had little to no chance of beating me by blindly charging with rage. He contemplated his next move, springing up and down to loosen his muscles. Again, I glimpsed how he shifted his weight onto his left leg whenever he landed and that was all the encouragement I needed. I advanced forward and feinted for a punch, to which he lifted up his arms to his face to protect it. I kicked out low onto his right leg, making him gasp in pain as he fell to the ground, clutching his shin and screaming in pain. I looked away as the medics rushed in to tend to his injuries. The sweet taste of victory; I can finally savor it after such a long time. The referee declared me the winner and the crowd cheered, showering me with praises.

I left the cage through the door and saw Raphael waiting for me by the bench, a cigarette between his fingers. His two bodyguards stood beside him, scanning the room for any potential threats.

"Raphael." I nodded at him and walked over to sit beside him.

"That was a good fight, Paco." He complimented and I swooned in pride, loving the attention I was getting. "But you should know that the tournament would be much tougher."

My face hardened upon the mention of the tournament and tightened my jaw. "I know." I answered curtly and got up to leave the place. I suddenly didn't feel like celebrating my victory.

"Are you thinking of backing out, Paco?" Raphael narrowed his eyes at me, noticing my reaction.

I tensed and leveled his stare. "I'll tell you whether I want to participate in it later."

He shook his head and stood up, even then, I still had at least two inches on him. "You of all people should know the consequences of quitting the tournament, Paco." His breath stank of alcohol and he leaned closer, poking me in the chest with his stubby finger. "Do _not _disappoint me." Out of the corner of my eye, I saw his bodyguards tense and stared at me, daring me to do anything that would get me into trouble. I clenched my fist but held back. I _did _know the dire consequences of such an act of defiance – something that would haunt you for the rest of your life. But then again, that's only if you even survived the punishment, something that had little possibility.

With that threat hanging in the air, he walked off with his guards and left me standing there, wondering what I had gotten myself into. I pushed the thoughts to the back of my mind and marched off. I was ravenous after exerting myself like that and decided to grab a bite. I grabbed my bag off the bench and headed for the nearby diner.

I sauntered out of the club, dimly aware of some people whispering and swiveling to look at me. I was getting used to this, I had become a topic for discussion ever since I started winning these fights easily with my speed despite my age. I gave a charming smile to a girl with too much make up who battered her eyelids at me and I swear she was about to faint before her friend caught her.

The walk to the diner was exactly what I needed, a few minutes of silence in the dark to reflect on what was going on in my life. It was a routine for me and I felt way more in control that way. My thoughts immediately shifted to Julia and I frowned, rubbing my temples. It was as good a time to face my unusual obsession with her and figure out what was wrong with me. I rounded the corner and spotted the diner, aware of how my stomach rumbled and demanded food. A look at my watch confirmed that it was nine-thirty, the diner should be reasonably deserted and I would be able to enjoy my meal in peace.

So you can imagine my surprise when I pushed open the glass door and saw Julia at the counter.

**Julianna**

The word surprise didn't do justice to how I felt when I saw Paco push open the glass door and step into the diner. The look on his face told the same story. Then almost immediately, the look of shock on his face passed over and was replaced by a mischievous gleam in his eyes and he trotted forward with a lopsided grin.

"I didn't expect to see you here." He sat down on one of the stools and eyed me for my reaction. If he expected me to freak out or something, I definitely would not give him the satisfaction. I folded my arms across my chest and leveled his gaze. "That makes the two of us."

He chuckled and directed his gaze towards the menu. "I'll have a cheeseburger and onion rings." I immediately thought of that little kiss that he had given me to tease me. I smiled, now that I was in control of things, I could easily play with him. He must have caught a glimpse of the look on my face and narrowed his eyes at me.

"Is anything wrong?"

"Yeah. We're out of hamburgers."

He cast me a skeptical glance and shrugged. "What do you have to offer than?"

"Actually," I made a big deal of going into the kitchen and rumpling around, pretending to look for food before coming out with the most apologetic face I can manage. "We're all out."

"Somehow, I doubt that."

"Believe what you want, it's the truth."

He made a sad face and looked at me with puppy eyes. For some reason, it melted my insides and made my stomach do a backflip at the same time. "Julia, can you please make me something to eat? I'm starving." He never dropped his gaze and the pale blue eyes that had never seemed to leave my mind stared at me, pleading.

I felt myself giving in to his pleading and sighed. "Alright, alright. I'll go and cook something for you."

He gave me one of his trademark cocky grins again, losing the expression that had softened me so. "And while you're at it, can you whip up some fries as well?"

I glared at him, picturing my fingernails tearing him from limb to limb. "Don't push your luck."

"Okay." He shrugged and leaned forward onto the counter, taking a sip from his coke. I felt my gave linger a little longer on him and forced myself to focus at the task at hand. I put together a meal with whatever there was left, which wasn't much. When I was done however, I was pretty satisfied with the results. I carried the plate of food out and placed it in front of Paco who tore into it almost immediately after muttering his thanks.

I sat down opposite him and gaped as he finished the entire meal in under five minutes.

"What?" His voice was laced with amusement when he caught me staring at his empty plate. He took a napkin and wiped his mouth.

"I had never seen anybody eat that fast before." I shook my head in disbelief.

He broke into a grin and leaned forward. "You obviously never saw a Mexican eat before, then."

Slightly alarmed by how close our faces were to each other, I felt a flutter in my stomach studying his face up close. His flawless tanned skin and azure eyes seemed to adorn each other perfectly. I can practically lose myself in his eyes that seemed to brim and spill over with emotions.

"I know you probably heard this a million times, but you're beautiful, Julia." He whispered softly, his hot breath against my cheeks. I blinked in surprise, I wasn't expecting _that. _My heart pounded wildly as he leaned further towards me, covering up the small space that separated my lips from his. Then his lips were on mine, my lips responding hungrily to the contact. He cupped his hands around my neck, then weaved his hands through my hair. He deepened the kiss, wriggling his tongue against my lips, asking for access. I parted my lips and our tongues met in a slow dance. I never wanted it to end; it was everything I could ever ask for.

It was all too soon when he pulled away for air and traced my cheeks with his finger and for once, I saw how soft and gentle he can get. He had lost the facade that he always had on around others and I'm seeing the true Paco right in front of me.

"We shouldn't be doing this." He said softly, still stroking my cheeks. There was a flicker of emotion in his eyes which I can't identify.

"Why?" I croaked out, relishing his touch. I felt secure and safe with him next to me.

He looked away, the expression on his face unreadable. "I have to go." He avoided my eyes and grabbed his bag, swinging it over his shoulders.

I watched as he walked out of the diner slowly, as if there was a huge burden on his shoulders. I stared blankly out the glass windows facing the car park. I felt the urge to rush up to him and get the entire truth out of him but all my energy had deserted me, leaving me tired and once again, helpless. How was I going to face Paco tomorrow at school? I buried my head into my hands and wished that things in my life weren't so complicated. Even though a part of me longed for that to happen, another part of me knew better than to believe that.

I reached home and crumbled onto my bed, not bothering to change out of my clothes. Fatigue took over immediately and my eyelids drooped. I pushed any thoughts of the night to the back of my mind; I had no will to face them now. Avoiding my problems… Does that make me any better than Alfred? No, I decided. I'm nothing like Alfred. There was uncertainty to that statement but I was too tired to reason with myself. I allowed darkness to claim my last flicker of thought and drifted off to sleep.

* * *

><p><strong>Things are gonna get much more complicated from here on... Be warned.<strong>


	5. Cinco

**Paco**

I stared out the window at the lush landscape as I sat in my seat for chemistry. I had gotten to school earlier than normal because I felt like it and partially because I wanted to be there before Julia to avoid the awkward moment. I twirled my pencil in my hand absently and thought back to what happened the night before. I had let my emotions get the better of me; that was never good. I kissed her when I barely knew her. The problem is, it just felt _so _right. As if we were meant to do that from the beginning of time. I sighed and rubbed my temples.

"Trouble in paradise?"

I looked up and saw Mrs. Peterson regarding me with a bemused expression by the door. She was holding a pile of books in front of her chest and proceeded to place it on the table. She raised an eyebrow at me when I remained silent and sat down on the edge of her table, crossing her arms.

"Let me guess. It's Julianna, isn't it?" She nodded at the empty seat next to mine.

I grew rigid and averted my eyes from my all-knowing chemistry teacher. She petrified me at times, she just seemed to understand me so well. "How did you know?" I muttered, running a hand through my hair.

"Let's just say it's a lucky guess." She smiled wistfully at me and she seemed to be looking at me in a new light, as if I was a totally different person.

"Mrs. Peterson?" My chemistry teacher arched an eyebrow at me. I hesitated a little before continuing. It would do me good to tread lightly here – I had no idea whether she would willingly share information about my father's past. "What was my father like as your student?"

Instead of dropping the smile like I thought she would, her smile just widened. She stood up and gave me the knowing look all females have. "I thought you would never ask." Walking over to the cabinet where she stashed all her files, she scanned through them and retrieved a rather bulky one and set it down on the desk. She flipped it open, sending up a cloud of dust. I walked over and peered at the contents of the file : numerous tests, some pictures of the classes she taught and a list of names. I immediately noticed my father's name on it and picked it up, trying to spot any familiar names.

**Colin Adams**

**Darlene Boehm**

**Brittany Ellis**

What followed my mom's name was a hastily cancelled "**Alejandro Fuentes**" and replaced with his nickname, **Alex Fuentes**. I turned the list over and read down the list, trying to find any other familiar names. I knew that my parents were in the same chemistry class, they had revealed that to me. But there was nothing interesting about that piece of information, they took chemistry together in High School and College, so what?

There was a part of my mind that frantically tried to piece together the information. I knew all the details, I seemed to be missing out on the whole picture. I focused on the order of the names and realization struck me hard. I gaped at Mrs. Peterson who smiled at my revelation.

"They were chemistry partners."

"Spot on, Paco." She took the list away from me and clipped it back onto the file before stowing it away into the cabinet. "Now, the question is whether history would repeat itself." She turned to look at me, a glint in her eyes.

I backed away, shaking my head. "No way, _sénora._ Julia's not my cup of tea."

I was doubting myself after I said that and Mrs. Peterson noticed it too. She nodded wisely and put a hand on my shoulder. "Only time would tell, Paco. Until then, I won't be so sure about that."

I let her words sink in and went back to my seat. The bell rang, disturbing my thoughts and students started to enter the room, taking their seats. Julianna was one of the last to enter. She arranged her hair in a bun instead of allowing it to flow freely and walked over, making sure she avoided eye contact with me at all cost.

"Hey." I greeted her when she sat down next to me but she ignored me. She kept her eyes steadily forward at Mrs. Peterson as our chemistry teacher gave a brief outline on the experiment we were about to do. I sighed and looked outside the window, hoping the scenery would make me feel better or at least console me. They did neither.

"Alright, you can start on your experiment now." Mrs. Peterson announced with a clap of her hands. The class burst into small chatter as all the students prepared for the experiment. It was a simple one: Potassium Manganate (VII) and Potassium Iodide. Julia looked expectantly at me, probably asking me mentally to get the chemicals for her. Since she ignored me just now, I'll just give her a taste of her own medicine. I pretended to suddenly find the test tube rack on my desk to be immensely interesting and I think it worked because a few moments later, she made a frustrated noise and took matter into her own hands. I watched as she took the required reagents from the chemical cabinet and walked back over.

We did the experiment in silence. Julia poured the Potassium Manganate (VII) into the beaker and I paid no attention when she added the Potassium Iodide, I had done this before with my parents. Instead, I watched as her lips stretched into a small smile, fascinated by the reaction. The Potassium Manganate (VII) was originally purple in color, but once reacted with the reducing agent, Potassium Iodide, it would turn colorless.

"It's amazing, isn't it?" She whispered breathlessly.

"Yeah, it is. Sort of makes you think about how two totally different personalities can blend together so perfectly right?" I said, aware of the alternate meaning in that sentence. She realized it too and her face hardened.

"Why are you talking like that when you obviously made it clear that we can't be together?"

"I could just be kidding."

"No," She shook her head. "I saw the truth in your eyes when you told me that. Tell me, Paco, the reason why we can't be together and just maybe, we can make it work. "

I regarded Julia with disbelief. Did she think that she could just snap her fingers and she could solve every problem in the world? "It's not that simple, Julia."

"If you can't even trust yourself, how do you expect me to trust you?" She said bitterly and started washing the apparatus. I tried to offer my help but she refused. I was tempted to pull out my hair there and then, I just fucked up so badly. How could I tell her that I was a fighter that fights and gets injured every time? How could I tell her that I was part of a dangerous game, where breaking out of it only spells death?

A few minutes later, the bell rang. Julianna stood up and was about to walk off but I grabbed her hand. She turned around and looked at me, her eyes dull and sad. _Say something to make her feel better! _My mind went blank and I could only think of one thing.

"Are we still going to the library to do the chemistry project?"

"Is that it?" She asked, disgusted. Jerking her hand out of my grasp, she stormed out to the door of the class. "And if it means so much to you to know the answer to such a stupid question, _no._" She said without turning back. There was an edge of frost to that sentence, but also a lingering touch of sadness. I cursed myself for letting her slip right through my fingers but there was nothing I could do about it, it was probably for the best anyway. I bent down to pick up my bag and walked out of the room, trying to ignore the throbbing pain in my head.

**Julianna**

I felt empty throughout the rest of the day, like I'm just a shell of a person. It hurt. It hurt to be rejected even though me and Paco probably never had anything together. Hell, he probably just played with my feelings. After all, I'm just a toy to him, right? But I still can't deny the feelings I have for him. They ran deep but had surfaced when he kissed me, revealing the gentle side of him. He wasn't the proud and cocky Paco for that moment, he was the understanding and gentle Paco. The one that I wanted to be with, the one that I wanted to see again.

Katie caught up with me when I was at my locker. She was in a good mood, the boy she liked, Chad I think, had asked her to the school dance. I was too preoccupied with my thoughts to pay attention, even though I did occasionally agree with her with a "yeah" or "I know right?".

"So!" She elbowed me lightly and grinned at me gleefully. "Who are you going to the dance with?"

"The dance?" I frowned, trying to remember what she said.

"Were you even listening to me?" She asked, annoyed and hands at her hips.

"Yeah!" I said defensively, leaning against my locker. "You were talking about how Chad asked you out to the dance."

Katie made a sort of exasperated noise and stuffed her books into her bag. "His name is Charles, and you were _so _not listening to me."

I put my hands up in mock surrender. "Okay, okay. You caught me red-handed." I saw Katie attempt to suppress a laugh and tried to crack a smile but failed terribly. I wasn't in the mood to be happy, in fact, I was downright depressed. She studied my expression and touched my hand tentatively.

"You alright?" She furrowed her brow in concern. "You know you can tell me anything, right?"

I nodded my head, thankful for Katie's friendship. She always made me feel better. "I know," I croaked out and added quickly when she waited expectantly. "I'm fine, really." She didn't look too convinced but decided not to pursue the matter further. That's what I love about her, she knows when is the time to press for information and when it is time to back off. We headed off for our respective classes after Katie made me promise her that I would tell her whatever that was distracting me – when I felt like it, of course.

I lowered my head and walked down the hallway. Everything in my life right now was a mess and I just added another complication to it, a tall one at that. I rounded the corner and collided head first into something hard and distinctively male. Stumbling backwards, I immediately identified the person due to his raven black hair and tanned skin. Paco. I hurried to his side, trying to help him up.

"Are you alright?" I asked as he stumbled to his feet, breathing heavily.

He cocked his head to his side and glanced at me. "I'm fine." He bent down and was about to pick up his books that were scattered all around him when I noticed the crimson liquid dripping down his left arm.

"You're bleeding!" I exclaimed, suddenly feeling sort of giddy. Blood. Lots of it. Instead of me helping him out, he had to put his hands on my hips and steady me instead.

"It's okay, it's not that bad." He coaxed and eyed me with those gorgeous blue eyes. Entranced by his eyes, I almost forgot that we weren't supposed to be together. At least until he got over how insecure he was. The irony however was despite however insecure he felt, I felt safe with him. I wriggled out of his grasp with great reluctance before anything else that would hurt me further could happen. "We have to get you to the school nurse."

"It's not necessary." He waved his hand dismissively in the air and bent down to pick up his books, cringing in the process.

"Stop acting like you're invulnerable, you're human too." I grabbed his arm and tugged him towards the nurse's office, ignoring the looks and stares we were getting. When we got to the school nurse, Miss. Koto, she immediately flocked to Paco and made a huge fuss over getting the injury cleaned and disinfected. I smiled as he shot me a wary look before the nurse dragged him towards the sink and ordered him to wash his arm.

"You sure are a regular customer here, Mr. Fuentes." She mused.

I paced around as Miss. Koto told him to remove his shirt so she can disinfect the wound. I can't help but stare as he tossed his shirt to the side and eased himself onto the chair. My eyes took in the sight; his lean and tanned body with just the right amount of muscles that didn't make him look too burly. Then, I heard Miss. Koto gasp.

"Where did you get that bruise?" She questioned Paco who looked away, muttering something under his breath. I covered the distance between him and me in two strides and put a hand over my mouth when I saw what Miss. Koto was talking about.

There was a huge ugly bruise in the middle of his chest, the skin an ugly shade of purplish black. He saw me gaping at the bruise and shook his head, closing his eyes mid-sigh. He had not wanted me to see this. I noticed several other scars on his torso alone, I can barely imagine the rest of his body. Is this the reason why he wants me to stay away from him?

Miss. Koto finished bandaging up his arm and allowed him to pull his shirt back on. "Take care of yourself next time, Paco." She called after him and Paco raised his good hand to signal that he would. The moment we were out of sight of Miss. Koto, he hurried away from me.

"Wait, Paco." I grabbed his arm and pulled him back, remembering what he did during chemistry. "What happened to you?"

"Look," He took a quick look around the hallway as if what he was about to say was a big secret. "What happened to me is entirely my problem so stay out of it." He backed away with an unreadable expression on his face and stalked towards his class.

"Is that it?" I shouted at his receding figure. "Is that why you're pushing me away?"

He turned around and hesitated, biting his lower lip. I walked over to him and poked him in his chest. "Tell me the truth now." I demanded, not caring that I was probably inflicting pain on him due to the bruise. He brushed my hand away and gazed at me with his intense eyes.

"That's only a part of the reason, Julia." He sighed, looking very lethargic. "The other reason –" He stopped and seemed to thought better of telling it to me.

"What is it?" I sensed my advantage and pressed on. "Tell me!"

Paco opened his mouth to speak and when no words came out, he pursed his lips. He shook his head. "I can't." He saw me about to open my mouth and argue and put a finger to my lips, silencing me. "Before you say anything, let me tell you that this is for the best."

He turned around and walked away. I let him; the touch of his finger on my lips had left my knees weak. I started to head for my class, my thoughts disoriented and in disarray. All because of him. All because of a boy. I groaned and headed straight to the toilet. I washed my face and glanced at the mirror. A determined girl stared back at me, but that was only on the outside. A facade, for inside, my feelings were in turmoil. I need to forget about Paco, and fast. His appearance in my life was already taking its toll and tiredness would soon be the least of my problems. I took a last look at myself in the mirror and decided - once and for all - to forget about him and move on with life. I spun around and left the toilet, pretty sure I had also left a part of myself behind when I made the decision.

* * *

><p><strong>o_o<strong>


	6. Seis

**Paco**

I wanted desperately to tell Julia why I didn't want anything to do with her, more than anything else in the world. To tell her the danger she would be in if she was to be with me, to tell her that it isn't her fault, but mine. But I can't, revealing these secrets would mean releasing the bundled up emotions inside of me and I lived by the principle of fighting; never let emotions get in your way. If I had to keep pushing her aside to make sure she would be safe, I would do it. No matter how painful it is to see her disappointment and sadness, regardless of how it tears me apart. I shouldn't be getting so close to a girl from the start, heck, I shouldn't even have kissed her. It was a lapse of my judgment, one that I would willingly take back and redo everything all over again. That way, maybe I won't have to deal with this longing that threatens to consume me every single day. I have to stop thinking about that _chica_, she would be the death of me one day.

And I meant that in a literal manner.

"Paco Fuentes and Julianna Gallagher, please report to Mr. Aguirre's office now." A female voice boomed over the school speakers and I jolted back to my senses, aware of the eyes that swiveled towards me once the announcement was made. Damn, what did I do this time? I pushed back my seat and walked over to Mr. Walton, my history teacher, who tried to look stern when he sent me out of the class to see the principal, but I'm sure that he was more than relieved to get rid of me for the time being.

I pushed open the door and stepped into Mr. Aguirre's office. His face was impassive as usual when he studied my appearance and folded his arms across his chest. A few uncomfortable moments later, Julia entered the office, looking equally confused as me about the visit.

"I'm sure you're wondering why I called you both here," Mr. Aguirre started, taking turns to glance at both of us. "so I won't waste any more time with the pleasantries."

I stifled a laugh and disguised it as a cough. Mr. Aguirre couldn't be pleasant even if he wanted to. In fact, if he ever went out of his way to praise someone, I bet his clerk would send him to the hospital to test whether he had gone senile. I caught Julia smiling at me and instantly knew that she was thinking about that too. I tried to return the smile but her smile immediately faded and she looked stonily at Mr. Aguirre.

"I fear that your actions yesterday cannot go unpunished, no matter how insignificant it may seem." Mr. Aguirre continued, unaware of the drama unfolding right in front of him. "I have decided that both of you would attend a new class after school."

"I have cheerleading practice after school." Julia argued.

"I'm pretty sure that it can be arranged so that you can attend the class before it." The confidence in Mr. Aguirre's voice probably informed Julia that none of her excuses would work so she nodded meekly and remained silent.

"What about you, Paco? Are we agreeable on this?" Mr. Aguirre turned to look at me. I itched to shout back at him that I would rather die a slow and painful death than to ever concur with him but decided against it; it would do nothing to improve my current situation. Instead, I just nodded.

Clearly caught off guard by the lack of defiance from me, I had the satisfaction of seeing him squirm uncomfortably, at a loss for words. He adjusted his tie and cleared his throat before briefing us about the lesson. "It would be right after school. Head to the chemistry lab and meet Mrs. Peterson. She's in charge of the lesson."

"So am I right to assume that it's an extra chemistry lesson?" Julia inquired, curiosity getting the better of her.

"I'm glad you asked that question, Julianna." And from the look on Mr. Aguirre's face, he _was_ glad. There was a sort of evil twinkle in his eye when he leaned forward. "But no, it's not a chemistry lesson. In fact, it's not even on your curriculum."

I have to admit that he had gotten me hooked. I was almost tempted enough to ask for further details, but that would destroy the too-cool-for-words look that I wanted to maintain in front of Mr. Aguirre. That was an unnecessary worry though, Julia took the bait and probed further.

"What is it then? You can't expect us to learn something that's not even going to help us at all."

"It's a punishment, Julianna, not a joy ride." Mr. Aguirre frowned. "However, I would be lying if I told you that it would not be of any help at all."

"You still have not told us what it is."

Mr. Aguirre paused at that statement and smiled. A full smile. Remember how I mentioned that this was getting interesting? Now this was just fucking creepy.

"Photography."

**Julianna**

Wait, did he just say photography? Like, taking photos? How is that even deemed as a punishment? This is definitely along the lines of torture. If Mr. Aguirre thinks that he can make me go for some stupid photography lesson, he's delusional.

I glanced over at Paco who seemed to be taking the news quite well. He's definitely playing the role of the remorseful student quite well, seeing how he isn't showing any of his snarky attitude. Well, if he wasn't going to do something about this unfair treatment, I will.

"Can't we go for a different class for punishment?" I smiled sweetly at Mr. Aguirre, batting my eyelashes in a hopefully convincing manner.

Mr. Aguirre stared unblinkingly at me. "No."

"I'm fine with the class." Paco chimed in, shrugging his shoulders in an uncaring manner.

I gaped at him in disbelief and he raised an eyebrow at me. "It's not as if we can make him change his mind, it's a punishment after all." He explained, tilting his head towards me with a smile. My stomach fluttered and I looked away, feeling the heat creep to my face. My plan of avoiding Paco outside of chemistry to get over him wasn't going very well.

"So it's settled then!" Mr. Aguirre boomed, clapping his hands together in approval. "Lessons would start today. I don't expect any of you to be late or cause trouble in the class."

"Oh, of course not. We would be the model students you always wanted us to be, Mr. Aguirre!" Paco grinned enthusiastically and I didn't think it was possible to tint words with so much sarcasm.

Mr. Aguirre narrowed his eyes into slits at him, but let the matter go. He probably figured that he would be wasting his breath reprimanding Paco, what's the point in that? He waved his hand to dismiss us and resumed his paperwork.

As I stepped out of the office, I felt a pull on my hand. "Hey, Julia, I'm sorry about what happened just now." Paco breathed, his husky words lingering in the air and making me shiver in anticipation.

_Pull yourself together, Julia! Get over him, he's not worth your time._ I turned around slowly and the words were caught in my throat. His face hovered just above mine, the close proximity unnerving me. His lips quirked up into a smile when he noticed how nervous I was and traced the outline of my cheeks tenderly.

"Why are you always leading me on?" I forced my words out in an exhale of air and his finger stopped, lingering temptingly below my lips. He shook his head and backed away, his finger slipping off my chin.

"You're right. I have to stop this." He looked away, his jaw set. "I'm sorry."

"No, don't apologize." I put a hand and almost retracted my hand when he stiffened at the touch. "Can you answer a question truthfully?"

He hesitated, looking down at me with his beautiful blue eyes. There was agony behind those entrancing eyes; an inner full-fledged battle of his emotions. "It depends on the question." He said finally.

I can't pass up this chance. This could be my only possible chance to get to know him, the _real _Paco he hides behind those walls. I took a deep breath and met his gaze, creases on his forehead indicating the concern and worry he was feeling. "Promise me that you would answer it truthfully regardless of what I ask."

"I-I'll try my best." It seemed to take all the effort in the world for him to mumble out those words and he closed his eyes, as if he was already regretting for his actions.

The air seemed to be electrified, I was so close to him I could almost feel his steady, even breathing. I would wager he could feel mine too, my heart was pounding so hard it almost blocked out all of the other sounds. I was dimly aware when the bell rang, signaling the end of school. Nothing else mattered right now. It was just me and him and according to my mind, nobody else existed.

I leaned forward, my head almost touching his chest. "W-Why…" I paused, swallowing down my anxiety. I can't mess this up or this moment might be lost forever.

"Why are you denying us the chance of being together?"

* * *

><p><strong>Sorry for it being a little short, I felt that it would be a nice place to end off.<strong>

**Revieeeeew.**


	7. Siete

**A/N : **Gotta be slightly honest here, things aren't going exactly like in my plot, had to alter things slightly. Probably the same result though, just more fluff till the end of the story. Hang on for more!

**Note : Review please!**

* * *

><p><strong>Paco<strong>

That question left me reeling, what can I possibly tell her? I can't, if it isn't for her safety, it's for my sanity. I can't help it though, her brown eyes had me pinned and trapped. I swallowed, shaking my head as I tore my gaze away.

"I can't, anything but that."

"Why?" She whispered, unable to mask the sadness in her voice. She looked so hurt, so crestfallen that I would have given it right there and then if I didn't remind myself of the consequences.

"The truth would do my harm than good," I answered, pushing her away from me. "It is for the best, Julia."

The anguished look that clouded over her face seemed to tear away a fragment of my heart and she took a step back. "You're a coward."

"What?"

"You're a coward." She repeated, shaking her head ruefully. "You don't dare to face up to your fears. You're no different from me after all, Paco."

"What are you talking about?" I growled, anger overriding my sympathy. How can she call me a coward when she had no idea about the demons that were haunting me, from the past and the present? She had no right. Nobody had any right to talk to me that way.

The doors of the surrounding classes swung open as students piled out, talking and chattering until they noticed us. A silence fell over the hallway and everybody shifted their gaze onto us.

Julia appeared unfazed, however, and continued. "Everybody has their demons or troubles, whatever you want to address them as. It's just how you solve them, how you face up to them. Never think that running away is the solution," She took a deep breath and her eyes pierced right through me. "It never is. You can't run away from reality, Paco." With a final nod that could have meant anything in the world, she turned her back towards me and walked off.

I stood there, dumbfounded as my brain processed her words slowly. I must have looked pretty dazed because Tristan approached me uncertainly.

"You okay, man?"

My head felt a little too heavy to lift up at the moment, probably overloaded with the amount of information I was trying to make sense of. Julia's words were spot on and I just needed a little, tiny reminder of my situation. I could run and hide from my troubles, but I would forever be trapped and caged in it if I didn't put up a fight.

"Dude, you're freaking me out. Respond to me, damnit."

I peered up at Tristan's familiar face, his forehead creased with worry. "I'm fine." I reassured him and pushed my tall frame off the wall, aware of the whispers and talking that resumed around me. Rumors are going to fly once again, and for some reason unbeknownst to me, I didn't give a fuck at all about what people are going to think about me. All I could think – and worry about for that matter – was Julia, and how she was taking it.

As Tristan escorted me down the hallway while shooting death glares at anybody who dared to whisper in our presence, I silently made up my mind. I'm going to come clean with her if she ever asked me the question again. Of course, the big question right now is if she would even speak to me again. I grimaced at what laid ahead of me. My course of action went against all the principles I had learnt to live by; it had definitely protected me for my last 17 years. But right now, I'm not sure that I could even rely on them anymore.

"So!" Tristan nudged me lightly when we were sitting on a bench, away from the prying eyes.

"So." I replied flatly, knowing what misfortune was about to befall me. I stared down at the sandy ground and I kicked at the dirt, sending up swirls of dust.

Tristan got off his seat and bent down, tilting his head at such an angle so I could see his curious eyes despite looking downwards. I gave a frustrated sigh when he smiled at me cheerfully. "What do you want? Let's get it over with so I can go for my detention."

"Okay, then, I won't beat around the bush." He stood up and leaned against the bench. "Who are you bringing to the school dance?"

"We hav-" I paused and looked disbelievingly at Tristan as he regarded me with a raised eyebrow. "You aren't going to ask me about what happened between me and Julia?"

Tristan grinned broadly and gave me a hearty slap on the back. "Honestly? No. But now that you mentioned it…" He trailed off and his grin impossibly widened. I groaned at my slip-up, rubbing my face with my hands.

He wagged his finger at me in mock disapproval and insisted for the details. This time, however, I gave in. If I was to admit whatever was standing between me and Julia to her herself, I need to start first by telling my friend about what was going on between us. So, feeling unrestrained for the first time, I let go of whatever I had bundled up inside and let it all gush out like a flooding river during a storm; like the cascading of a waterfall. And through it all, Tristan listened thoughtfully and never interrupted once.

When I was done, even I had to admit that it felt good – awesome, even – to confide in someone you can trust. Tristan, however, appeared less ecstatic and regarded me with a somber expression.

"You were dating someone behind my back, Paco? What happened to our pact?" His words came out painfully slowly, and I realized that he had not patched things up with Andrea. Our pact, one that we made about 4 years back when we were still freshmen : If any of us were to be attached, the other one had to agree to the relationship before things can be taken to a next level.

"It's hardly dating, Tristan." I scoffed, stretching the entire length of my body. "Besides, she probably hates me to the core now."

"Do something about it then." Tristan said quietly, his eyes fogging over slightly. He turned away and his words came out as a raspy whisper. "Don't end up like me."

"You and Andrea always get back together, there's nothing to worry about, Tristan."

"No."

I eyed my friend, startled by his choice of words. "No?"

"No. I should have taken action a long time ago when things weren't working out, Paco. I let it drag too long, now we're both just… fragile." He shook his head and rumpled his sandy blonde hair. "We would never be like we were before, that was all in the past. What matters now, is the present."

"Quite the philosopher now, aren't you?" I teased, trying to lighten up the mood.

Tristan smiled ruefully at my weak attempt and inclined his head towards the school. "You're late for your detention. I would hate to think about what might be in store for you." He gave me a light push on the back and urged me onwards.

Feeling how distraught he was, I grabbed his hand and stopped him. He eyed me warily, his face pale. I gazed at him meaningfully and we locked gazes. He immediately understood what I meant and he gave a grateful nod.

"Anytime, Tristan. Anytime you need me, don't hesitate to give me a call."

He forced a grin and pushed me, harder this time. "Go."

I hurried towards the chemistry lab, cursing as a looked at my watch. I was almost ten minutes late and I knew Mrs. Peterson's reputation for finding punishments for latecomers.

I gave Tristan one last glance and he waved me onwards, the smile still plastered on his face. Any other people that didn't know Tristan as well as I did would think that he was still the same person, the same cheerful and outgoing Tristan they knew so well. However, his eyes betrayed him. The pain, the anguish that radiated from his eyes… I knew clearly from one look that he would not recover from that blow soon. Far from it.

**Julia**

Have you ever said something that you want to take back desperately? Like to just stretch your hands out and grab those words floating in the air and cram them back into your mouth? And pretend that it never happened? That's exactly what I wanted to do when I talked to Paco. I didn't expect myself to talk that much but in the spur of the moment, I did. And I regret it.

I sat at my usual seat at the chemistry lab as Mrs. Peterson busied herself by writing the introductions to photography on the white board. Would he hate me forever because of that idiotic little speech by me? God no, I can't afford to have Paco as an enemy. Where _was _Paco? I looked at the empty seat next to me and then at the door. Instantly, like magic, he appeared at the doorway, out of breath.

"_Lo siento por haber llegado tarde, la señora_," He muttered and bent over to catch his breath.

Mrs. Peterson regarded him for a moment and clucked her tongue in annoyance. "I expect you to be on time for these lessons, Paco."

"I know, I know. I lost track of time."

"Don't let that happen again."

"_Si señora.__" _Paco nodded gratefully and then surveyed the classroom. His gaze fell on me and he frowned slightly before walking over and taking his seat next to me.

"Did I miss anything?" He raised his eyebrow at me and nodded towards Mrs. Peterson who was still scribbling furiously. The words covered almost the entire length of the whiteboard.

"No." I shook my head. At least he was talking to me, I can now dismiss my absurd theory of him hating and ignoring me for the rest of my life. Paco nodded slightly and looked out the window.

"Julia, I have something to tell y-"

"Okay, let's get started on the lesson." Mrs. Peterson's shrill voice cut Paco off and I arched an eyebrow at him. He smiled at me ruefully and mouthed later, leaving me to wonder what he could be meaning to tell me. My plan to avoid him at all costs is definitely falling to shambles, I always seem to have a run in with him.

"Photography. The art of capturing a single moment in a picture." Mrs. Peterson began, tapping her marker against the board. "We experience feelings every day in our life, but to depict and portray it in a single shot takes skill and expertise. That's wh- Yes, Paco?"

"Are we the only two students in this class?" He asked.

"Yes, you're the only two lucky students." Her lips quirked into a smile and she continued with her lesson but I tuned out. The only two students? Why? There are so many other trouble makers in this school, why weren't they condemned to this class? Why only us? I let my mind wander and each successive answer got more and more disturbing.

"Your assignment for every week is to find and take a picture that you think is suitable for the theme that I would give you." Mrs. Peterson continued, turning a camera over in her hands. "This week's theme would be beauty."

"Beauty?" I blurted out, surprised by the topic.

"Yes, do you have any problem with that?" Mrs. Peterson asked, furrowing her brows at me.

"No, no!" I said quickly, trying to not notice how Paco was smirking at me from my peripheral vision. "I just think that we might not understand that topic very well."

"Well! You brought up an interesting point, Julianna." Our teacher smiled, placing the camera down onto the table gently. "The point of photography is to comprehend what you're taking a picture of. The less you know about your theme, the better. The photos would explain what you need to know to you, if you bother to look and find out."

Paco groaned. "That's way too deep for me to understand, Mrs. Peterson."

"Only time will tell, Paco, only time will tell." There must be some sort of joke between them that I didn't know about for Mrs. Peterson laughed while Paco turned several shades of red. After discussing a little bit more about the theme, she told us to take two shots, one of life and one of scenery for the assignment.

"Alright!" Mrs. Peterson clapped her hands with finality and ushered us out of the chemistry lab. "Go take some pictures and pass it up next week."

I stepped onto the hallway, followed by Paco. An uncomfortable silence descended on us. The hallway was deserted, school ended almost an hour ago.

"Hey Julia?" I sensed the hesitation in Paco's voice when he spoke up and I looked at him expectantly. "We need to talk."

"I figured that as much." I giggled softly and he led me outside to the benches. The sun had begun its slow descent across the sky, coloring the sky a brilliant orange. It was beautiful; both the sky and the moment that I was sharing with Paco.

"What do you want to talk to me about?" I asked, feeling the trembles returning whenever we were in close proximity. His presence electrified me, something about him just made me feel nervous, but in a good way.

He tilted his head to look at me and I felt my insides melting. The fading sunlight caught his raven hair and shadowed his strong cheekbones, making him look beautiful. And desirable. "Are you in any hurry to go home?"

We locked gazes and I felt myself drowning in his intense blue eyes. "No. I would prefer to stay here forever." I admitted truthfully. He chuckled lightly and walked over, placing a hand on my shoulder. The fabric of my blouse prevented his hand from directly getting into contact with my skin but it was enough to send shockwaves throughout my entire body.

"I want that too, Julia." There was sorrow in his eyes. "But a moment like this would never last forever."

He leaned forward and cupped my head up, gazing intently at my eyes. "Would you go to the school dance with me, Julia?"

My heart pounded hard in my chest and I nodded meekly, afraid that my words would come out as a jumble and make no sense at all. He smiled and kissed me on the lips. Our second kiss, in the most romantic ambience I could ever ask for. I felt myself lost in the warmth of his lips and the world ceased to exist. When he pulled away, it was all too soon.

"W-Would this mean anything?" I muttered, still feeling the tingling sensation on my lips where his soft and warm lips had pressed against.

He studied me in silence for a long moment and a cold draft of wind lifted a few leaves into the air, sending them across the campus. I waited, in anticipation and dread for his answer. Finally, he sighed and took a hold of my hand.

"Do _you_ want it to mean anything?" He whispered.

I took in his intoxicating scent and looked him in the eyes. Jesus, those eyes that have never left my dreams since I first kissed him. My mind protested but deep inside I knew the answer.

"_Yes," _I whispered, pulling him close with my arms and giving him a peck on his cheeks. "_Hell yes._"


	8. Ocho

**Paco**

I held Julianna in my arms, feeling the warmth of her body against mine. The sun was finishing its descent, the sky slowly turning dark. Her words repeated itself in my mind, over and over again like a broken record. _Yes. Hell yes. _I was making a bad choice here, dragging her into my life. But, for once, I felt as if I could make everything work as long as she was by my side.

"Julia." I whispered into her ear and she shivered from my hot breath against her earlobe.

"Paco." Her voice was husky and she looked dreamily into my eyes. The air was turning chilly, the sky now a dusking color. She sighed and buried her head against my chest; a deep and contented sigh. "Had we overcame the obstacles? Is life going to get better from now on?" She tilted her head and looked up at me with hopeful, hazel eyes. "Please tell me it is."

I reluctantly pulled away from the hug that we were sharing and smiled at her. "It would only get better from now on, Julia."

Julia sat back down on the bench and bit her lower lip, looking gorgeous in the dying rays of light. "Promise me, Paco. Promise me."

"I can't." I averted my eyes and stared at the ground littered with leaves of all shades of orange.

"Why?"

"I can't make any promises that I might not be able to keep." I sighed, shrugging in a gesture of my helplessness towards the future. Julia's lower lip was trembling now, and she hugged her knees. I edged forward uncertainly and took a seat next to her, feeling her need to be comforted. "Remember that little speech you gave me in the afternoon?"

Julia's eyebrows shot up and she grinned sheepishly. "Yeah, I was about to apologize for doing that and causing a commotion."

"No, I need to thank you for that." I brushed a few stray tendrils of hair from her forehead tenderly, smiling as she blushed from my touch. "You showed me the error of my… beliefs. It was foolish of me to hold on to the past when I can easily move on."

"I never thought I would hear that from Paco." She teased, shoving me lightly. I pretended to lose my balance and fall off the bench, groaning in mock pain. My acting must have been quite convincing for she gave an audible gasp and rushed to my aid.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't realize I used so much strength. Oh my god, are you alright? I can't beli-" Julia started rambling and I laughed at her, causing her to regard me with confusion. The confusion was soon replaced with embarrassment when she realized that I was putting on a show, then drastically to one of anger. She rose to her full height, scowling and kicked me repeatedly in her childish fit that only sent me into another round of laughter.

Julia jabbed an accusing finger in my direction. "Why did you do that? Don't ever joke with me like that again, or I'll…" She hesitated and I laughed again.

"Or what?" I challenged with a grin and I could see that she was literally fuming. "Swat me with your handbag? Paint my fingernails?" I frowned at the mischievous grin slowly spreading across Julia's face and shook my head vigorously. "Forget what I just said."

"Now, now, don't go off being a spoil sport after you suggested it." She pouted. "I would like to see how you look with nail polish on your fingernails anyway."

I shook my head at Julia's demented idea. "It's late, we should go back."

"Just a while longer? I don't want to go home so early." Julia pleaded.

I eyed her warily, her threat about painting my fingernails still fresh in my mind. "As long as you promise not to paint my fingernails." She giggled and gave me her assurance before lowering herself next to me on the grass. Night had totally fallen over the sky like a blanket, tainting the once bright sky with darkness. It was still too early for the stars to reveal themselves and the moon started rising to its full glory in the night sky, providing some light to see by.

"I love the night." Julia muttered, lying back against the ground, her eyes gazing upwards. "It's so peaceful and beautiful."

"Yeah, it is." I agreed. "The night is so much more forgiving than the day."

Julia raised an eyebrow at my comment and nudged me to continue. "I mean, have you ever felt that the sun's rays are bright and hurting at times? As if it's passing judgment on you for your sins. In the night, there's no such pressure from the moon." I shrugged, wondering if what I was explaining made sense. Julianna was looking at me with amazement in her eyes. "What?" I asked, feeling silly for sharing so much.

"I never thought I would ever befriend a prophet." She giggled, the beautiful sound filling the air. "You sure do look at things in a different manner from most people."

"I guess that's what makes me different."

"You're special, Paco. Not different." Julia's gaze was on me now, her tone slightly chastising for my choice of words. "And you know it."

"I don't, I just live my day like any other person." I sighed, the cool breeze rustling the bushes behind us and every fiber of my body sprang into life, ready for any sign of danger. This was a curse, something that I had to live with ever since I was forced into the ring to get rid of my weakness. I had fears, irrational and stupid fears that I wanted to banish away to the deepest reaches of the planet. A normal person would have faced his fears head on, trying to solve the problems before they became too big to settle. Me? I never had the courage to do it. Instead, I did something else in a weak attempt to wrest control of my life. Dive headfirst into a dangerous game that I can no longer pull away from. All just to escape from reality; to feel like a real champion for a fleeting moment to cover up my insecurity.

Julia tilted her head quizzically to one side as she noticed how tense I looked. "Is everything alright?"

I grunted an affirmative and willed myself to calm down. Adrenaline was already making its way around my body, making me twitch in anticipation. _Anticipation for what? _The rustling of the trees and bushes stopped as the wind died, leaving my body tingling with disappointment.

"What's wrong with you?" Julia asked, worry in her words. She touched me tentatively, afraid of an explosive reaction from me. I recoiled from her touch as if her hand was burning and breathed deeply. I looked at Julia, taking in her hurt expression and guilt wrecked my heart.

"I'm sorry. It's just…" I hesitated, shaking my head roughly, as if it would help the flurry of images running wild in my mind. Every fight, every victory that I had savored flashed through my mind like a slideshow, reminding me how fucked up my life was. Taking pride in punching and inflicting pain on my opponent… How does that make me different from an animal?

"I'm not going to ask you for details, but when you are ready…" Julia faltered, searching for the correct words to use in case she offended me. "I'm always here to hear you out."

I forced a smile, thankful for her concern. "I would, just give me some time to figure things out. I already decided to come clean with you since this afternoon about the matters that are bothering me, but I don't want to ruin this moment."

Julia nodded in understanding and returned her gaze to the sky. The silence turned uncomfortable and I racked my brain for something to fill the silence – anything to make it less awkward. "Julia?" I began uneasily, recalling about my father's unusual and absolutely embarrassing request.

"Yes?"

"Erm… My parents would like to meet you over dinner." I said hastily, feeling embarrassed. _Goddamn it, dad. Is your lifelong mission to make me feel awkward by asking every girl I know over to dinner? _

Julianna's facial features were lined with shock and she gaped at me. The silence that followed was worse than the previous; why do I even bother? "I'm flattered." She finally answered, her voice with an edge of emotion that I can't quite identify. Her eyes betrayed her though, she was definitely feeling excited, the fire dancing in her eyes said it all.

"You should be, it's not every girl that my parents insist I have over." I teased, easing the tension and Julia visibly relaxed.

"I wasn't kidding when I said that I'm flattered." She smiled, her fingers interlaced in a display of nervousness. "But isn't it a little… too sudden?"

I groaned, wishing a hole would open up underneath me and swallow me whole, saving me from the agony of embarrassment. "My parents sure don't think so."

Julia's face was red as well, from embarrassment hopefully, and not from anger. She hesitated, plucking absently at the grass. "If you want me to go…"

I breathed a sigh of relief. "Yes, I would love for you to go." The moment the words left my mouth, I regretted saying them. Maybe I shouldn't have used _that_ word. Julia paled and giggled; a nervous, strained giggle.

"It's okay if you don't –"

"No, It's fi –"

"I'm not forcing you or an – "

"It's okay, I won't m – "

We both burst out into laughter, the sound permeating the silence like a knife through butter. "Oh my god, we should really learn to complement each other better." Julia choked out between fits of laughter and I grinned back in return. It was so easy to be with her, I can get used to this. However, a part of me knew this would not last, not with the impending danger of the fights and ultimately, the tournament.

Julianna, unknowingly rolled over and collided with my body in her convulsing laughter. I grabbed her and held her close, imagining how it would feel to never let go.

"Julia." I whispered into her ear for the second time that day.

"Paco." Her reply was slow, her breathing sped up. "And the answer is yes, I would come over for dinner with your parents."

I smiled at her but immediately became aware of the malicious glint in her eyes. "Oh no."

"Oh yes." She grinned, leaning in to give me a peck on the cheeks before telling me the news I was dreading to hear.

"On one condition, though. You let me paint your nails."

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><p><strong>AN : **Yes... getting your nails painted is the worst fucking torture in the entire world.


	9. Nueve

**Julianna**

I slept like the dead last night, there were no more nightmares of that night where I almost lost my father, no more indications that I was going mad. Nothing. Just a calm, blissful rest that I had wanted for a very long time. It was as if the little 'complication' in my life had just taken an abrupt turn, making my life better.

I sauntered down the hall with a chattering Katie by my side, a small smile pulling at the edges of my lips. Memories of yesterday night slowly unveiled themselves in my mind, constantly pulling me back to the past. Every electrified touch; every moment that I shared with Paco etched themselves in my mind. I won't be forgetting that night anytime soon, that's for sure.

"You look happy," Katie chirped, cocking her head to the front to get a better look of my face. "Anything happened that I should know about?"

I snapped back to reality and tried to appear as nonchalant as possible. "Nothing happened."

"Oh, don't give me more of your lies." Katie shook her head, pouting. "You're smiling to yourself and in a daze. If you're not happy, you're on drugs. So what is it?"

I smiled, knowing that I can't lie to my best friend. She could read every one of my actions, lying to her was like lying to my own conscience. "Let's just say someone asked me to the dance."

"It's _him, _isn't it?" Katie squealed, unable to contain her excitement. I didn't need to answer that question, the blush on my face betrayed me. "Ohmigosh. It _is_! When did he ask you? Where did he ask you?"

"Yesterday," The redness of my face merely intensified as more pictures of the encounter poured themselves into my mind. "In school."

"I'm so happy for you, Julia!" Katie took my hands and did a little swirl, making me giggle.

"I am t-" I rounded the corner and stopped in my tracks, the words stuck in the lump that was rapidly forming in my throat. Paco was leaning against my locker, his arms crossed in front of his chest and smiling at me.

"Hello, Julia." His voice was husky and I tried to smile back but my facial muscles would not follow my instructions. I probably came off looking worse than ridiculous. Katie, beside me, stifled a laugh and patted me on my shoulder.

"I'll see you later." She gave me one last look, her eyes sparkling, before trotting off to give me a moment alone with him.

"Hey yourself." My voice was quavering and I hoped it wasn't too obvious. I walked over to him, feeling his gaze boring into me. "What did I do to deserve a visit from you this early in the morning?" I teased, trying to diffuse the tension in the air.

"I thought you would have made me some breakfast after what happened last night." He raised an eyebrow at my empty hands and shook his head in mock disappointment. "Guess I thought wrong."

"Is that all?" I replied, feeling a slight wave of disappointment wash over me. That didn't entirely make sense, what was I expecting from him in the first place? "And here I was thinking that you would have gotten me something nice."

He put a finger to his chin thoughtfully before turning back to me. "It's a good thing I decided to get you something then." He reached into his back and pulled out a sleek new camera. I gasped in response, my eyes running over the black, stylish object in his hands. "Here, you'll need this to take the pictures for photography lessons."

"I can't accept it, it looks expensive." I stuffed my hands into my pockets and shook my head. He looked amused by my reaction.

"It didn't cost me a single cent. My parents were more than happy to get me something that would apparently keep me out of trouble. They would have bought me the whole camera shop if I asked." He laughed and I can't help but to smile. "Take it as a gift from me to you for accepting my invitation to the dance."

"I would have accepted your invitation either way." I said shyly, trying to prove that I wasn't doing it for the presents. He just looked at me and another one of his slow sly smiles spread across his face.

"I know, I can read you like an open book." He winked at me and I felt heat creeping up to my face. I motioned for him to move away from my locker and shifted my attention to getting the books out of my locker. I was intently aware of how painfully close our bodies were. We were so close, I could almost feel the body heat radiating off him. I pulled out my chemistry book and stuffed it into my bag before swinging it over my shoulders.

"Is there any catch I should be aware of?" I suddenly realized that he might have a motive and eyed him suspiciously. He grinned, putting his hands up in a gesture of surrender. "You got me. There is just one thing I want you to do," Then, he leaned forward, his intoxicating scent making my mind blank out. "Meet me after school and take the photographs for our assignment with me." Immediately after that, he pulled away.

"That's it?" I blinked rapidly, willing my heart to stop pounding so hard. "I thought you had some big bad plans for me."

"Do you want to be a part of some big bad plans?" He arched his eyebrow, a twinkle in his eyes.

"I-I…" Embarrassment overwhelmed me and I bit my lower lip. "I didn't mean it t-"

He laughed again, his airy laugh filling the empty hallway. "It's okay, Julia. There's no need to be shy around me." He kissed my forehead and took a step back, his eyes on the clock. "I'll see you after school then, I have something to attend to now." With one last heart melting smile from Paco, he retreated down the hallway, his receding figure slowly blending into the darkness.

I tore my gaze away from his diminishing back and looked down at my new camera. It must have cost a hefty sum of money, judging from its lens and structure. My mind wandered off as I absently stroked the camera, thinking about the photography course I had hated. Maybe it was a blessing in disguise after all.

**Paco**

The bell rang, signaling the end of a long school day. I dragged my weary body out the door, along with my heavy bag containing the photography equipment. I perked up the moment I remembered about the trip with Julia; funny how she could easily brighten my day.

"Hey Paco! Wait up!" Tristan's voice called out from behind me and I whirled around, looking at him pushing his bulky frame through the crowd despite protests and glares.

"Yeah?"

"I have a football game later in the afternoon, can you give me a lift home?"

I thought about the trip to take the photos and shook my head at my hopeful friend. "I can't, I have something on."

"Come on, please?" His eyes were pleading. "I'm begging you, there's no way I'm going to get home after the game if I don't get a lift." I was about to turn him down again, but then I remembered that Andrea used to take him home after the games. Now… I sighed and reluctantly conceded. "Okay, what time does it end?"

"Six thirty! Thanks again, Paco." He gave me a friendly 'pat' on the back that sent me stumbling a few steps forward before rushing off to change into his battle gear. Wincing slightly, I continued to Julia's locker, hoping to find her there. As expected, she was talking with her group of friends at her locker, laughing and smiling. God, I love her laugh. So airy and light, it can light up my mood anytime. Not wanting to impose on them, I leaned against the wall and waited for the cheerleader's impromptu meeting to end so I can be alone with her.

One of her friends noticed me and spoke in a hushed tone with Julia, causing the whole group to laugh and Julia to turn a beetroot red. Her eyes darted to me and I raised my eyebrows at her, gesturing at the crowd. She dropped her gaze immediately, her cheeks turning even more impossibly red. After a minute more of laughter and exchange of words, they finally scattered.

"What were they talking about?" I approached Julia and asked, curious about the topic they were discussing about.

"Nothing much," Julia answered vaguely, still arranging her stuff in the locker and trying to not look at me. "The usual stuff."

"You're the worst liar I've ever met, Julia."

"Isn't that a good thing?"

"Depends on the situation, I guess."

"Alright, I'm ready. Let's go." She picked her bag off the floor and turned to me expectantly.

"Can you not change the topic and answer the question?"

"Really, it was nothing." Julia mumbled, averting her eyes and opened the locker again. I watched in amusement as she resumed her arranging of her books that were already in absurdly straight rows.

"Alright, how about this," I put my hands on her shoulder and spun her around gently. "I tell you my secrets, and you tell me yours."

"I'll consider your offer," She said thoughtfully before closing her locker door for the second time. "Can we go now?" I nodded and led her to Lucky at the parking lot. I hoisted myself onto the seat and was about to hand her the helmet when I noticed how uneasy she looked. She was studying the motorbike like it was a new life form.

"Anything the matter?" I asked.

"Yeah, I never rode on a motorbike before." Julia bit her lower lip in hesitation. Damn, she looks so cute whenever she does that.

"It's perfectly safe, I won't let you get injured. I promise." I nodded at the seat behind me and after another moment of brief hesitation, she clambered aboard Lucky. I passed the helmet onto her and instructed her to put it on. "Hold on tight to my waist or you just might fall off." I warned her before starting the engine and swerving out of the school gates. I welcomed the frigid cool air that lashed at my body; it reminded me that I was still alive. A prodding pain at my waist made me notice how tightly Julia's fingers were clenched.

"Relax your grip, you don't want to kill the driver." I joked and immediately felt her fingers relax. Far too much. "Now you're relaxing too much, use a little bit more strength." I heard her give a grunt of frustration.

"This is so complicated! Why can't you drive a car like a normal person?" She whined but her fingers tightened slightly. Just right.

"This isn't rocket science, Julia."

"It can very well be."

"You'll get used to it."

"I doubt I'll hitch a ride from you often enough for that." She muttered and I chuckled. "Where are we going anyway?"

"Roserade Hill. Been there before?"

"No, never even heard of it?"

"Where have you been living? Under a rock?" I was genuinely surprised that she had never been there before; much less heard of it. Julia, however, took offense to that sentence and purposely dug her fingernails into me.

"Hey, no killing the driver on my watch."

"Ironically, you _are_ the driver." She pointed out.

"I never expected the head cheerleader to be so violent." I protested, jerking the vehicle around a bend a little sharper than usual. The shriek from Julia satisfied me and I lifted my right hand from the handlebar, giving her a thumbs-up. "You alright back there, drama queen?"

She just dug her fingernails deeper in response. "Any deeper and you're gonna draw blood, Julia!" I yelped, trying to focus on the winding road as I made my way up the hill.

"I'll like that." She replied but relented and stopped poking into me.

"Do that again and I'll…" I tried to think of the worst punishment I could force on Julia. A river of suggestions flooded my mind; none of which should be entertained unless I wanted to be charged for sexual harassment.

"Or what?" She teased, taking revenge on me for yesterday. However, unlike my foolish self, she did not go as far as to give me a suggestion.

"I'll stand you up for the dance." I declared, expecting a quick retort from Julia. But she remained silent and I mentally kicked myself. How could I be so heartless? She was so happy about it. I was about to apologize when she spoke up.

"You don't mean that, do you?" She spoke softly, her voice shaky with emotions.

"No, I don't. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that." I muttered. "I would never do that, Julia."

The rest of the journey continued in silence and each time I tried to strike up a conversation again, she would respond with a simple answer and keep silent. I took the hint after two tries and shut up; I had ruined the entire moment. Why do I keep screwing up? I was never this bad with girls, until Julia came along. It was always easy, a few words and they would be falling all over me. But this time, I'm watching my mouth and not wanting to say something that would hurt her feelings. Does this mean something? Anything? I didn't want it to; I could not afford to bring her into my life. But I can't shake that gut feeling that it did, and I had just made the worst mistake in my life.


	10. Diez

**A/N : Regarding some concerns of Spanish not really being used in this story, I've decided not to actually utilize it too much, unless its between Paco and certain people who should be able to speak Spanish, like his father and some friends I'm about to introduce into the story. Definitely not with Julia, and even if I do want to insert some, it would be brief and simple. I don't really understand Spanish... Wait, scrape that. I have no clue at all about Spanish and I'm trying to keep it to a minimum, so please understand. That's all! A short one this time, enjoy.**

* * *

><p><strong>Paco<strong>

I screeched to a halt at the deserted lot near the peak of Roserade Hill and alighted from the motorbike. Julia wordlessly jumped off from Lucky with the gracefulness of a dancer and gave the lush landscape a sweeping glance. "It's beautiful." She said breathlessly as a gentle breeze blew across the land we were standing on, causing the trees to tilt slightly in the direction of the wind, the leaves dancing under the afternoon sun.

"Yes it is." I agreed, silently relieved that we were back on talking terms. "I came here all the time as a child." Nostalgia rolled over me like a wave and I gazed longingly at the unkempt stretch of grass ahead of us, swaying to the wind in what appeared to be a welcoming gesture. Memories came pouring back; each one sweeter than the previous. "It remains unchanged, still as beautiful as I last recalled." I took Julia's hand in my mine and we exchanged smiles. "I'm sorry for what I said just now, I really didn't mean it that way."

"It's alright," Julia whispered. "I forgive you." She gave my hand a little squeeze.

We started for the center of the grass patch, hungrily taking in the sights around us. Flowers bloomed in small groups under the shades of the looming trees, the tall grass whipping at our shins and ankles as we plowed towards the edge of the hill to get a better view. It was all so surreal I found myself wondering how people could be so ignorant of the incredible beauty of the land they were destroying for land to build estates or industries. After a few minutes of brisk walking and some complains from Julia about the insects that were disturbing her to no end, we found ourselves at the edge of the hill, overlooking the place we had been living in for as long as we could remember.

Maybe beautiful isn't the right word. I doubt there were any words in the English language capable of describing the view, but it's worth a shot. I won't even think of associating the splendid view with anything less than 'stunningly, achingly and absolutely gorgeous'. The sun sinking in the distance provided those rare, dying sunlight that were slanted at just the right angle to be reflected off the rosy red rooftops, glinting and gleaming. Cars were zooming pass on the roads, a battle of who would reach home first to enjoy their own personal space. The ocean stretched as far as my eyes could see, offering no signs of it ever ending. The ripples and flows of the ocean were pulling me towards it and I could just make out the cries of the hungry and circling seagulls, looking for their prey that resided just beneath the frothy waves. It was exactly the sight that would make someone treasure the life they have, just to be able to glance at such beauty from time to time. This, unfortunately, was exactly what I did not need when I was putting my life on the line every time I fight.

I became aware of Julia's slow and deep breaths as she too, observed the picture perfect scenery laid out in front of us like a beautiful art piece. "To think I thought the stretch of greenery before was beautiful." Julia laughed, shaking her head.

"It can't even hold a candle to this." I agreed, pulling out my camera from my bag. "We don't have much time left, sun's going to set soon. Better get started."

Julia nodded and took out the camera I had gifted her earlier in the day and turned it over in her hands, unsure of what to do. I sat back, arms crossed and watched with amusement as her frustration grew when she couldn't figure out how to get it working.

"I hate cameras." Julia finally declared a minute later, her lips curled in disgust as she regarded the appliance with much disdain. I chuckled and ignoring her glare, mercifully took the camera from her hand and showed her how to operate it. "It's simple really, you'll get used to it soon."

Julia set her glare on the camera that I returned her and sighed. "Why didn't Mrs. Peterson teach us how to use it before giving us the assignment?"

"She probably figured that we would have enough common sense to know how to."

"Are you saying that I lack common sense?" Julia narrowed her eyes at me, dropping the camera onto the grass, her hands at her hips.

"I'm sure you make up for it in other departments." I teased. With that, I let my eyes drop slowly down to her chest. Julia's face turned several shades of pink and she crossed her arms defensively over her chest in a weak attempt to preserve her dignity. "Hey, I was just kidding." I frowned when I saw her bite her lip and looked away. "You alright?"

She was silent for a few painful moments before she spoke. "I thought you weren't as shallow as other guys."

I groaned. "I'm not a saint, Julia. And I bet even a saint would have noticed that."

It was her turn to groan. "Stop it, Paco, please."

"Okay, okay." I threw my hands up in surrender. "I'm sorry, it won't happen again."

"It better not, or I'll…" Julia trailed off again, a smile tugging at my lips when I realized how many times we had said it the past few days. I was starting to like this game. Maybe a little too much, in fact.

"Or what?"

Julia shrugged, picking up the camera. "I'll get back to you on that."

"We better get start taking pictures," I took a glance at the sinking sun, aware of how much time we had wasted. "It's getting late." Julia muttered her agreement and we got to work. Taking pictures were simple; getting the right angle to catch the perfect moment was hard. It took a lot of maneuvering and craning of the neck to get in the right position, and even then, the light had to be at just the right angle for the lighting in the picture to be decent. It was a tedious task, but we accomplished it and were pretty satisfied with the results.

"You coming over for dinner later, right?" I asked as we were making our way back to the parking lot. "My parents are expecting you." My hand reached for hers naturally, claiming possession of her warm hands in the chilly evening air.

"Yeah," Julia said. "I just need to go home and change first." Even without looking at her, I can sense the anxiety in her voice.

"There's no need to be so worried, my parents are pretty laid back." I assured, squeezing her hand gently. "They probably just want to embarrass me."

"At least somebody is capable of that." Julia smiled as she climbed onto Lucky, this time with much more grace. I veered onto the road and started the long journey back. Night fell swiftly and silently, blanketing the hill with shadows and darkness. I felt Julia shiver behind me and a few moments later, lean into me for solace and comfort. I was enjoying the moment, savoring it and filing it into my mind to review later when I needed to make myself feel alive again.

"Julia?"

"Hmm?" She replied sleepily, her head on my shoulders.

"I'll have to go pick up Tristan after this, so it might be a while before I go and pick you up for dinner. Is that fine with you?" I steered the motorbike away from the dirt road circling the hill and merged back onto the highway, grateful for the smooth ride after the all-too-bumpy one just minutes ago.

"Yeah, it's fine with me." Her voice decreased in volume and her head grew heavy on my shoulders, her arms around my waist loosening a bit as she drifted off to sleep. I sneaked a glance at her face as she slept, the helmet obscuring most of it, but I can make out her eyes that were closed, and the long lashes above it. I sighed, surprised to find it almost wistful. I was getting too attached to Julia, and there definitely won't be a happy ending if it continued, but for now, I was too happy – or lazy, for that matter – to care.

**Julia**

I caught up on some much needed sleep on the way back and felt refreshed when Paco woke me up gently at my doorstep. "Wake up, Julia. We're here." His voice, deep and soft, awoke me from my slumber and I lifted my head drowsily, looking at our surroundings without registering much. "Julia?" He gave me another nudge with his finger and I finally got my bearings. I blinked a few times, willing the sleep from my eyes away with each closing of my eyelids.

"Good morning, Paco." I greeted him, rubbing my eyes as I slipped off the backseat, my back feeling a little stiff from the ride. He chuckled at my disorientation and gave me a kiss on the forehead, his lips warm against my cold skin.

"See you later, Julia. Go and freshen up." He gave me one last nod with a smile and took off, leaving behind a trail of dust. I dragged my weary frame to the front door and unlocked it before collapsing onto the sofa, just wanting to continue the dream I was having earlier before being so rudely awakened. Just when sleep was about to claim me again, I remembered the dinner and jolted up, the fog shrouding my mind lifting itself in about the same time as it took for me to stand up.

_What's wrong with me? I'm supposed to go and clean up for the dinner!_ I took the stairs two at a time and entered my room noisily, much to the protests and grumbles from my brother who was taking a nap next door. I ignored his curses and stepped into the bathroom, letting the warm water wash away the grit or filth that had accumulated on my body from sitting in the grass. I took my time to condition and shampoo my hair before coming out of the bath, ready for everything and anything. Maybe except for meeting Paco's famous, opulent and smart parents. That, and maybe doing my calculus homework later at night.

I changed into a simple pink blouse and a pair of jeans before descending the stairs down to the living area and reclining on the sofa. I flicked on the television and let my mind wander as a replay of A Cinderella Story flickered on the screen. I had seen that movie a few times already, but the main reason that I wasn't watching it was eluding me. But I'm pretty sure that it's somewhere along the line that I have already found my prince.


	11. Once

**Paco**

A brief glance at my watch told me that I had only a few minutes to make it to the school field before the game ended, and the annoying traffic lights that flickered to red whenever I neared them did nothing to improve the situation. I drummed my fingers against the handlebars, the neon lights of the stalls by the side illuminating the faces of the drivers beside me in their cars. Most of them looked tired from their day at work, eyelids heavy and slouching forward as they gripped the wheel. Others just appeared emotionless – dead, even – as they looked straight ahead at the cars whizzing past in the junction.

Finally, the red light faded and the green light jumped to life. I sped off, trying to make up for the lost time. About a few more minutes into the journey, I noticed the looming fight stadium, The Scorpio to my right. I never wanted to acknowledge its presence, but it became a sort of instinct to sense where danger lurked and I could never seem to cleanse that off me. It had become in-built in me, just like how a baby would cry when he or she was hungry. It came naturally to me now, and I had come to accept it as a part of me. Nevertheless, I couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was about to happen.

I rounded the corner, the tyres screeching in protest at the sharp turn. I was getting closer to The Scorpio and I can't help but to feel the familiar rush of adrenaline; my natural reaction to being in the vicinity of the fight club. My senses came to life again, keener and sharper. The rational part of my brain nagged at me to get out of there as soon as possible, there was no reason for me to be here. However, the instinct that I knew all too well blocked out the voice reasoning with me, taking control over my limbs and swerving me into the congested parking lot filled with BMWs and Mercedes, no doubt from the rich patrons that visited the club to watch fighters tear at each other for entertainment.

A ripple of resentment fought to surface from deep within me but I kept it in check, telling myself that I had no right to even hate them. I was after all, another fighter at their disposal. I eased myself off Lucky, removing my helmet and kept it under my arm before sauntering towards the stadium. Howls and cheers escaped through the slightly ajar doors where two burly security guards stood by the side, looking extremely bored.

"Paco." One of the guards with a tattoo of a scorpion on his beefy, half exposed arm gave me a gruff greeting. I nodded back in response and pushed through the doors. The stench of alcohol and sweat hit me full force; if I hadn't gotten accustomed to it, I would probably have fainted from just the smell. I couldn't even start to fathom how the people who patronized this club could stand the overwhelming stink. Making my way through the writhing crowd, I stole glances at the ring where the two fighters fought to their last breath. I immediately recognized one of them as my friend, Lino, whom I had trained with for the past years when I just started as a novice fighter. He was fast on his feet, a worthy adversary and a potential winner of the tournament. He had a nickname too : Viper. He struck as fast as a cobra, redrawing almost as fast too. His blinding speed earned him that honorary title, one that he would do anything to keep.

His short, cropped charcoal black hair glistened with sweat under the glaring, white lights of The Scorpio. It took only a few seconds for my experienced eyes to assess the situation; Lino was obviously winning. He was bouncing on the balls of his feet, his arms at ready, eyes fixated on his opponent who eyed him warily. A loud roar from the crowd gave Lino the motivation he wanted and he lunged forward, his right arm extending with a burst of speed and catching his enemy squarely on his jaw. He stumbled backwards, arms flailing wildly as he tried desperately to regain his balance. Lino wasted no time in pushing his advantage further, diving with the speed that had earned him the title and pouncing on the man, nailing him down onto the ground.

It was over in a few seconds, so fast that it took another heartbeat for the crowd to process the information before another resounding roar swept over the stadium and Lino pumped his hands up in victory. Even then, I knew what he was about to do. Right on cue, Lino turned around and held his hand out to his fallen opponent and helped him to his feet with a smile. I also knew what he was going to say to him and watched as he mouthed the words.

"Good fight."

That was one of the many reasons I respected Lino so : his unwavering sportsmanship even to his opponent that had only mere seconds ago, tried to punch him to oblivion. It was one thing to not rub your win in your opponent's face, but to help him up and give him words of encouragement? Practically unheard of in a high stakes sport like such. But Lino was special.

I shoved my way through the crowd amidst protests and curses, walking casually over to Lino's side of the ring where he gulped down a bottle of water. His tanned back was towards me but he still sensed my arrival and his head jerked back in alarm before melting into a smile.

"_Hola, amigo." _He greeted me, patting at the empty space next to him.

"_Hola," _I lowered myself onto the seat and took a quick glance at the clock hanging above the entrance. The game had already ended and Tristan was probably celebrating or sulking – depending on the outcome of the game. I only had a few minutes before I had to continue on my way. "_Buena Lucha."_ Good fight.

"_Gracias." _He grinned and took another long swig, a stream of water trickling down his chin. "So, you're here to talk about the tournament, I presume?"

"_Sí." _

"You're thinking of backing out, aren't you?" He dropped the empty bottle onto the ground and looked at me, frowning. "You know you can't afford to do that."

I grimaced; just the guy I needed to throw the hard truth at my face without hesitation and dash all my hopes in an instant. "I know, but that can't stop me from dreaming, can it?"

"_Dios,"_ Lino sighed, picking up another bottle and unscrewed the cap. "What is it this time? Your parents found out or have you found your meaning in life?" Lino was the only person that I had revealed my reasons for joining the sport to in the first place, besides for Tristan. He understood me perfectly, he had his share of problems too, though none of them came close to the absurdity of mine.

"I don't need a reason."

Lino studied me for a long moment before returning his attention to his bottle of water. Judging from the empty bottles strewn around the bench, he had easily drank 3 liters of water already. "I know you too well, Paco. What is it?" He drained the bottle and eyed it disdainfully, as if he was angry with the bottle for holding such a small quantity of water that was insufficient to even quench his thirst before dropping it onto the ground, joining the graves of the other bottles.

"My parents didn't find out, if that narrows the reasons. And I still haven't found my meaning in life, but I think I found a reason to live." I kept my eyes down, listening intently for Lino's reactions. He didn't move at all and after a few moments, I heard him exhale deeply. Was he holding in his breath?

"_¿Que mierda, _Paco!" Lino's voice lost its usual calmness and he shook my shoulders roughly. "You can't bring a _chica _into this! I forbid it!"

"I don't want to do it either, Lino." I hated how my voice sounded so weak, so frail, so tired. It only went to show how powerless I was. "But I like her, I –"

"_No,_" Lino's voice shook with authority and finality. His grip on my shoulder tightened and I tried to shrug it off but he held on, his dark eyes trained onto me. "Tell her that its over before things get too serious. That way, both of you won't be damaged too badly."

I shook my head ruefully, meeting his eyes. Only then, did I register how hard and cold they were. I knew how strongly Lino felt about harming any innocents by dragging them into our fight, but he – of all people – should understand me! He was in love before, he knew what it felt like to let go of someone who you truly care about. "It's not so easy, Lino. I tried twice to shake her off me, but now I'm giving it a chance. I re -"

He cut me off again, his voice a low hiss in my ears. "Then try again, don't stop trying till she gets the message that you don't want her. Be brutal, be _despiadado_. No matter how hard you hurt her now, it would not even compare to the pain she would suffer in the future with you."

"I can change that, I would break out of this circle." I lifted my head high and levelled Lino's glare. "I would be the first to show Raphael what it truly means to be _valiente._"

Lino's face crumbled right in front of me, his eyes displaying how startled he was by my arrogant sentence. His lips turned into a tight line and he shook his head forcefully. "Don't be foolish, Paco. Many have tried – all of them have failed. You would never survive, much less prove your bravery."

I stood up, sensing that this conversation was going nowhere. Lino reached a hand out to grab mine but I jerked my hand out of his grasp. "I'm not going to lie, Lino. I'm _asustado. _Petrified, even. But if I don't take a chance and give it a shot, I would end up like you." Immediately, Lino stiffened and squared his shoulders, his jaws clenching instinctively. His eyes turned to hot coals, the muscles on his hands rippling in a menacing manner. It didn't bother me one bit, he could pummel me to the ground for all I care. "Drowning in regrets and sorrows… I'm sorry, but I can't think of myself doing that. It's time I took a stand for myself." I stood my ground and watched as the air between me and Lino built up with tension, like a balloon filled with water that would burst with just a small movement.

Finally, gritting his teeth, Lino spat out, "Get out of my sight, Paco. And don't come back till you're ready to prove that you mean everything that you have just said. Because if you don't, I will personally end the suffering of that _chica _of yours, before the opportunity for it even arises." With that threat hanging, he stalked off, pointedly kicking one of the empty bottles, sending it sailing through the air before hitting the cold metal walls of the stadium.

I stuffed my hands into my jeans pocket and walked out into the fresh cool air, trying to arrange the thoughts that were addling my brain. Lino never made empty threats; if he said it, he would finish it. Had I already, unknowingly, dragged Julia into the game that I had been trying to shield her and protect her from for so long?

The cold gust of air chilled me to the core as I headed back onto Lucky, aware of how late it was. Tristan would be furious; his onslaught of insults would definitely keep my mind off what had happened throughout the quiet ride home. I dove through traffic recklessly, hoping the rush of adrenaline would help to blanket my worries but it was in vain. The thoughts continued to haunt me, swirling in my mind in an endless eddy, threatening to suck me into the whirlpool and hold me there for eternity. When I reached school, the parking lot was deserted except for a lone hunky figure : Tristan.

"Fucking hell man! I thought you died or something." Tristan hollered as he bounded over to Lucky, waving his hands dramatically in the air. "Why won't you answer your phone? Your parents bought it for a reason, you know." I smiled weakly at him, but due to the fact that our football team had steamrolled our long-time rivals, Tristan was in too good a mood to notice my sullen one. It was definitely a blessing, for I enjoyed his ramblings and expressive hand gestures that drowned out my thoughts.

"Damn man. You're awfully silent today." Tristan commented when I screeched to a halt at the street outside his house. I was wary of how observant Tristan had become after his fall out with Andrea; he seemed to be seeing more than he once had. And that would definitely spell trouble for me.

"Just thinking about a way to finish off my homework." I lied. "I have to go and pick up Julia for dinner now, can you hurry up?"

Tristan shrugged and jumped off Lucky. "See you at school tomorrow." I nodded. "One more thing, don't get any more detentions. I heard Mrs. Peterson talking about it affecting your eligibility to go to the dance."

"The dance?" After all the incidents, it had totally slipped my mind. "When is it again?"

"This week, Friday. How can you not know that when you're bringing Julia?" Tristan squinted at me in the dark, clucking his tongue in annoyance.

"Just making sure." I answered quickly, hiding my uncertainty. "Gotta go, see ya."

I pulled into Julia's driveway a few minutes later and got off Lucky. I strode over to her door and ringed it twice in quick succession. A boy about my age with messy brown hair and sleepy eyes opened the door and yawned. "Yes?"

The twang of jealousy was like a slap to the face. I clenched my fists and was about to bash that insolent son of a bitch's face in when Julia hastily pushed him aside and smiled radiantly at me. Upon seeing my expression however, her smile faded and she opened her mouth, no doubt to explain. I shook my head stonily and stepped backwards, hardly believing what I was seeing. Julia was cheating on me?

"Wait, Paco!" Her rapid footsteps hurried after me and I felt her fingers on my arm. I flinched and flung her hand away. "Paco, that's my brother, Alfred!"

I stopped abruptly, turning around to face Julia slowly. Her face was a pale white in the porch light, almost like snow. I looked up at the boy standing at the door, watching the action unfold in front of him with slight amusement, then back to Julia. I spotted the resemblance immediately; the hazel hair and eyes. It was almost impossible that I didn't spot it the moment I laid eyes on his brother, but I guess the jealousy blinded me. I started to feel foolish for even thinking about that until Julia cupped my neck and brought my lips down to meet hers.

She broke the kiss just moments later and whispered, "I would never even think of cheating on you, Paco." And our lips touched again. The same warm feeling filled my chest and I snaked my arms behind her waist, pulling her through what little space that had separated my body from hers. Her brother coughed and we pulled apart, both of us glaring at him for the unwanted intrusion.

"Your handbag." Alfred held out Julia's small handbag from the edges of his fingers, as if it was offensive or contagious. Julia _hmphed, _and tugged the bag from Alfred's hands with such force that he stumbled slightly. They exchanged another glare before the door slammed shut.

"I'm sorry, he's an asshole." Julia muttered apologetically.

"It's not your fault," I smiled and reached for her hand and we walked towards the motorbike. "Nothing you do is your fault in my eyes."

Julia blushed and gave my hand a squeeze. We piled onto Lucky and I swerved right into night traffic.

"I'm feeling a little nervous about meeting your parents. What are they like?" Julia asked.

"Really, there's nothing to be anxious about," I glanced quickly back at her and flashed her what I hope looked like a reassuring smile. "They get along very well with everybody. In fact, I think you'll get along with my mother just fine."

"I sure hope so," Julia said, resting her head on my shoulder. "First impressions are very important."

"Why?" I teased. "You planning to go back there a second time?"

"Oh, quit teasing me, Paco. You're just making me queasy." Julia whined. "And having you as a driver isn't helping."

"Hey, I'm a good driver." I said defensively.

"I'm sure you are."

"Are you teasing me now, Julia?"

"Of course not, Paco." Julia answered in an absolutely straight face. "Why would I do that?"

I laughed and soon, she joined in the laughter too. To other drivers, we must have looked quite a sight. A couple on a motorbike, whizzing along and laughing like we didn't have a care in the world. But who cares what other people think about me? The only person's opinion I truly care about is Julia's and she is all that matters to me – for now, and hopefully – forever.


	12. Perfect! Chapter 1

**Alright, guys, I have an apology to make for being on a hiatus for 'too damn long'. It had nothing to do with my lack of inspiration, or my lack of motivation. **

**Really.**

**Okay, maybe it did. Just the slightest bit though...**

**So, anyway. I have to rewrite the entire story for Picture Perfect, because I have forgotten my entire plot. Yes, I have somehow lost that little piece of information in my messy brain. **

**I do have bits and pieces here and there, and I'll try to actually string them together. But for now, I'll leave all the chapters of Picture Perfect there and entertain you guys with a rewritten series that would follow the exact same plot. Same characters, same plot. Just a little deviation from my previous writing style, and much more sexy and hot ;) **

**So enjoy and tell me what you think.**

**Do you like this Paco Fuentes or the one before better? **

**What about this shy and timid Julia as compared to the one before? **

**And one more teeny little thing. If everything goes according to plan, the rating changes from T to M. (hint hint, wink wink)**

**Once again, enjoy!**

* * *

><p>Paco Fuentes was feeling nervous for the first time in his entire life.<p>

And it had nothing to do with the girl sitting next to him.

Really.

He wondered what other reasons could possibly cause such an anxiety attack. He was practically immune to it, having been in the spotlight for most of his life. He loved attention; craved it. He was unable to fathom why people trembled from nervousness in front of a large crowd. He fought in front of a crowd, for fuck's sakes. Maybe his flawless record in the fighting ring had a part to play in his unwavering confidence, but it didn't matter. He had never felt on edge before.

Until now.

His entire body felt fidgety, his senses sharpened to the point where it hurt. His fingers drummed against the table in a futile attempt to calm himself down. He was also acutely aware of Julia's, the girl sitting next to him, every move. Whenever she shifted in her seat; whenever she moistened her parched lips.

It was killing him.

"… You don't have to like your partner, but you are stuck with him or her for the next ten months. I suggest you get to know each other." Mrs. Peterson's words – thank the Gods – proved to be the lifeline, pulling him out of the dreamlike state he was in. He had to get a grip of himself. "Tell your partner your hobbies, what you did over the summer and whatever it is that makes you unique. You have five minutes, starting from… now."

What? She expected Paco to _talk _to Julia? When he was sporting a hard-on just sitting next to her? That woman was delusional.

Still, he had a reputation to uphold. Paco was known in the school for his charm, wits and looks. Of course, that wasn't all he was capable of. However, he didn't want to risk infatuating the entire female population in the school, so he had to tamp down his attractiveness to a more… suitable level.

_Ego check._

Striving for nonchalance he did not feel, Paco tilted his head towards Julia, the stunning brunette he had the misfortune – or fortune? – to get as a chemistry partner for the rest of the year and studied her appearance for the second time. Her hair was a rich shade of mahogany that went past her shoulders and ended in curls at the hip. The wavy brown hair adorned her porcelain skin, as well as her rosy red lips. Her eyes were hazel coloured, framed by her long lashes. Her high cheekbones went well with her straight nose that was upturned just slightly, making her look irresistibly cute.

Scowling at the unneeded compliment provided by his addled mind, he reminded himself that she was not his usual type. He preferred girls that were not afraid to show off their body, girls that dressed in a provocative manner that turned him on. In a nutshell, _hot._

Definitely not cute girls.

"Pleased to make your acquaintance, Julianna." Paco began, flashing her one of his charming smiles that were specially concocted to melt girls into a puddle. And from the rosy blush that spread across Julia's face, she wasn't resistant to his methods either. But damn if that blush didn't make her look even cuter.

_Get your brain out of your ass, Paco! _He chided himself. _She is not your cup of tea. _

"You too," Julia murmured meekly, her face partially curtained by her long hair.

For some reason, Paco frowned at how timid she was. He didn't like to see her that way, and he subconsciously decided to make her more confident. Why, he didn't know. All he knew was that it was the right thing to do, and – surprise, surprise – he actually wanted to do it.

That settles it, he was definitely coming up with a fever.

He never did favors for anybody unless absolutely necessary. There was only one exception to that rule, and that was his family and closest friends. Whatever that had roused such an urge in him needed to be rectified, Paco thought. He wasn't going to allow someone like her to enter his circle of friends. And it was for her own damn good. She will never enjoy herself in his world, and when you factor in how demure she was, she might not even survive.

And why the hell was he even thinking about making friends with her?

"Paco?"

Julia frowned at the gorgeous boy in front of her who had a faraway look in his eyes. He definitely lived up to his reputation with his dark good looks. His disheveled raven hair fell in clumps around his eyes, shielding his equally dark eyes from her curious perusal. His facial features were rough and sharp, totally misplaced considering the sensuality he exuded. Paco was declared unanimously as the best looking guy in school by all the girls, as well as the hardest guy to snag as a boyfriend.

Julia, however, knew better. A guy like Paco never made commitments, and she had a feeling that he would never settle down with any girl at such a young age. Not when girls fawned over him and showered him with attention. If he did decide to get a girlfriend, however, and gave her his full attention… Julia had to agree that she was probably the luckiest girl in the universe.

"Paco?" She repeated, studying his clenched jaw. He was agitated? Why?

Uncertain of what to do when he didn't respond to his name again, she extended her hand tentatively and tapped him on his broad shoulders.

And instantly pulled her hand back, gaping at the jolt of electricity that shot up her arm.

Paco must have felt it too, for he jerked to awareness and glanced at the exact spot where she had touched. He seemed bewildered, and his gaze fell onto Julia with surprise. "Yes?"

"Y-You were…" She swallowed, not knowing how to explain the situation to him.

To her relief, he chuckled. "I guess I should thank you then. Now," His eyes sparkled with mischief. "Tell me a little about yourself."

"Why me?" She protested, not wanting to share her boring life with someone like Paco. Not until he revealed some interesting tidbits first, of course. Then she would know what to bring up and what not to. "You go first."

"Ah, then I would be no gentleman, would I?" He grinned, leaning forward until they were almost nose to nose. "Ladies always go first."

Julia was tempted to pull back, but she held her ground. To do so was to ascertain that she was still as timid as before. It was time to prove to everybody that she wasn't such a scaredy cat that others claimed her to be. It was all in the past, and now she was determined to change how others looked at her. "No, you go first." She argued, delighted to hear how strong her voice was. In the face of danger – or Paco, in this scenario – and she was still holding on. Things were definitely looking up for her.

Paco appeared slightly surprised by her insistence and raised an eyebrow. "My, my, a little feisty now, aren't you?"

"I've changed." Julia said, more darkly then she intended to and Paco laughed. Tendrils of ecstasy spread throughout her for eliciting such a strong reaction from him. "I'm not going to back down." She added as an afterthought, more for her own benefit.

Paco tapped his index finger on his cheeks thoughtfully, the action making him look boyish and… desirable. The latter was foolishly supplied by Julia's mind, which seemed to be somewhat intent on claiming the boy in front of her as her own. An impossibility, she knew, but that didn't stop her mind from speculating what the future might be if she succeed in doing so.

"Now you're the one drifting off." Paco's voice was husky and seductive, lowered to a deep rumble the sent shivers down her spine.

Julia glared. "I did _not." _

His grin did not falter under her withering stare. "I take back what I said. You're not feisty; you just have a bad temper."

Indignation burnt through her. Why had she even worried that she would be shy in front of Paco? He only brought out her dark side with all his remarks. "I do _not _have a temper." She asserted fiercely, fighting the urge to stomp her foot like a petulant little child.

He merely chuckled. The cheek of him! "Sure you don't."

Julia was about to shoot back with a snide remark when Mrs. Peterson's voice halted her from doing something she might regret later. Making Paco an enemy, with his considerable influence over the student population (mainly the girls), wasn't a very wise choice.

"Time's up. I see some of you are having a fine time talking and catching up," The chemistry teacher casted a pointed glance at Julia and Paco, which caused Paco to snicker and her to pale. She had never been the target for humiliation by the teachers because of her extremely good behavior before, but now… "I hope that you guys have at least accomplished _something."_

Paco gave Julia a furtive, mischievous wink that caused her to tingle all over. "We definitely know each other better now, Mrs. Peterson, no doubt about that."

Mrs. Peterson eyed him suspiciously. "Why don't you start the ball rolling, then?"

"It will be my honor." Paco saluted dramatically, then hoisted himself off the stool gracefully and sauntered to the front of the class. Julia had a sinking feeling in her gut that he was out to embarrass her in front of the entire class and she stared at her feet, hoping that a hole would open up and swallow her whole, saving her from the inevitable humiliation.

Death seemed like a better option than facing the ridicule of the class.


End file.
